(I Know) About Us
by Stessa
Summary: In order to save everybody in Storybrooke, Regina sends Emma and Henry - the thing she loves most - off to a fresh start in New York. 15 months later she knocks on the door to the Swan apartment only to see that things aren't quite as she had dared hope they would be. [Swanqueen endgame]
1. Chapter One: Leaving Storybrooke

A/N: Hi and welcome to my new story. This is gonna be another journey for sure, one that I've been planning for quite a while. It's a retelling of 3B, which has been done a million times before, but I do hope to make my own spin on it. We start out with a chapter of the infamous curse hitting Storybrooke and afterwards we move forward to "New York City Serenade" and things go really AU from there, so please bear with me if it feels like you have read this chapter before. I hope you're as excited for this as I am! A special thank you to searchingapples for bouncing ideas around with me.

* * *

 **(I KNOW) ABOUT US**

 **CHAPTER ONE – LEAVING STORYBROOKE**

Regina stared at the fog slowly surrounding her beautiful town and sighed. They'd just come back from Neverland a few days ago and here she was; getting ready to say goodbye to her life's work. It wasn't enough that she and Emma had just barely managed to rescue their son from Pan's evil plans, but now she had to lose him anyway.

She hadn't told them yet; not Emma and Henry, not Mary Margaret and David. She was still trying to figure out how to say the words. All she had told them – told everybody in Storybrooke – was that they should prepare themselves to return to the Enchanted Forest. Henry had looked so excited at that, and Emma had wrapped an arm around him and said _well Kid, doesn't matter if it's Storybrooke or the Enchanted Forest, as long as we're all together, right_? And Henry had looked so happy at the thought; both of his moms, getting along, and the words had somehow gotten stuck in Regina's throat.

Regina knew she had to say it soon, it was only a matter of time before Emma needed to pack her Bug with things she couldn't leave behind; Regina had already packed everything for Henry and was ready to magic it to Emma's car as soon as she had told them. She couldn't _bear_ that this was the way it had to go. Not after three decades, of her curse being broken, of surviving Mother and the Home Office and even rescuing Henry from Neverland. Not after Emma, Emma Swan with her ridiculously golden hair and green eyes, Emma Swan who had somehow managed to claw her way into Regina's scorched heart by simply being _Emma._

She sighed wistfully and glanced around the front hall of her intimidating Storybrooke home. All these memories that would just get lost; Henry's first everything had been inside these walls and now they were going to disappear just as easily as they had appeared thirty years ago. She couldn't even bring anything with her, only the memories inside her heart, and those she would cherish forever.

Regina ran a hand down the doorframe where they'd marked Henry's height as he grew up. This doorway was supposed to hold many more numbers, but now it would just go into smoke. She rested her head against it, a finger trailing the _Henry, age 11_ written in her neat cursive handwriting. Emma had been right next to her as they'd measured that one. Henry had beamed up at them; childish eyes bright and shiny, and Regina had _loved_ , loved more than ever before, because her curse might have been broken, but at least it was true, and the two people next to her chose to be by her side regardless of that.

"Henry," she called up the long stairway as she reached for her peacoat and slipped it on, "we have to get going!"

Henry trotted down the stairs, shoes thundering against the wood, and Regina didn't have the heart to scold him for it. Instead, she tucked an arm around his shoulders as they made their way towards the loft in the other end of town. They walked together, Regina relishing the last sight of her beautiful town, created by powerful magic and the biggest sacrifice she'd ever had to make – until now. Once more, she'd have to sacrifice the thing she loved the most. Wasn't it the way it always went for her? Never was she allowed to be _happy,_ to have peace, and she should probably feel pleased about the fact that she had managed some semblance of happiness the last 12 years since she got Henry.

They made it to the loft where Mary Margaret and David were running around, trying to get everything ready for the departure. Once they returned to the Enchanted Forest, Regina assumed they'd want to reclaim their castle and try to rule their old kingdom. Everything would appear as it had been, just slightly older and undisturbed. Regina couldn't imagine what the nursery at the White Castle – the nursery that was supposed to be Emma's – would look like now.

"Regina, there you are," Mary Margaret breathed happily, "Is everything ready? Do you have the scroll?"

Regina patted her coat where the scroll was tucked neatly into her inner pocket, "I have the scroll," she confirmed, just as Emma made her way down the stairs, taking the steps two at a time.

"Ma!" Henry greeted, and Regina couldn't help the surge of fondness that crept up her spine as she watched the blonde woman tuck a beanie onto her head. "Are you going to be living with Grams and Gramps or with me and mom at her castle?" Henry wanted to know.

Emma reached a hand out to ruffle his hair, "We'll have to see about that, Kid. Hopefully you'll like fairytale land. There's no indoor plumbing."

Henry wrinkled his nose at that, "Ew."

David laughed, "There are certain things I'm going to miss about this world for sure. Like electricity and soda."

Laughing along with her father, Emma said, "And bearclaws, don't forget bearclaws!" She turned to shoot at stiff smile at Regina at that. "So when are we doing this thing?" There was a certain look in her eye, like maybe she was apprehensive about leaving this world behind for good, and Regina thought she might be slightly relieved – although sad for leaving her parents, of course – that she wouldn't have to in the end. It made sense, after all, Emma wasn't from the Enchanted Forest, she wasn't part of the curse that originally created Storybrooke, and Henry wasn't either. There was no getting around that, even if Regina had tried her hardest to find a loophole. Loopholes never really had worked out for her, they had always been much more Rumpelstiltskin's thing.

"Actually," Regina said next and motioned for all of them to take a seat around the kitchen table, "there's something we need to discuss about this."

Mary Margaret took a seat by the end of the table, at once a concerned look in her eyes. "Did something happen?"

Regina let her eyes travel over all of their faces, lingering slightly longer on Henry's worried eyes and then Emma's upturned lips. When it came down to it, all of Storybrooke didn't really matter that much, what mattered most was two of the people gathered inside this room with her. That was the paradoxical thing about it; they mattered most, they were why she was doing this, yet she wouldn't get to have them with her. It was always her, Regina Mills, former Evil Queen, who had a cross to bear.

Henry reached a hand out and gently placed it next to hers. "Mom?"

She pulled out the scroll with a deep sigh and begun to explain. "I didn't tell you everything before," she started, and she saw David stiffen out of the corner of her eye, "For this scroll to work, for me to take back the curse that I cast, I'd have to do what I did back then – sacrifice what I love most."

"But what you love most is Henry," Emma quickly interjected, and her green eyes swept to their shared son who sat in between them.

"Yes," Regina hoarsely confirmed. _Henry among other things._ She bit her lip. "Which means that you two can't come with us." She paused, locked her eyes to Emma's in hard determination. "The only way for this to work is if I never see Henry again. Someone has to stay with him, and you're…" she trailed off, gaze going soft as she stared at Emma, almost afraid that the tears in her eyes would make themselves known to the other people seated by the table, "you're his mom."

Henry turned to her then, his eyes – such a mirror of Emma's – filled to the brim with tears. He'd already been through so much in his young life, and Regina hardly thought that this was fair to him, but it was the way it had to be. "But I don't want to leave you," he pouted.

She leaned forward and cupped his face, palm resting against his round cheek as she tilted his head upwards. "I know, my little prince. But you're going to have to."

Biting his lip, Henry jutted out his jaw in defiance.

Mary Margaret said, "Regina, are you sure this is the only way? I mean, we've always found other solutions before."

"Of course I'm sure it's the only way, you imbecile," Regina retorted with a scoff, hand dropping from her son's face. "Do you really think I'd willingly give up my son if I hadn't examined every other option?" Sometimes Snow White was really rather insipid, which was why Regina still found it so difficult to deal too much with her, even in the form and shape of Mary Margaret. So much of Snow White shone through, especially after the curse had been broken.

Emma pushed her chair back, legs scratching against the wooden floor, and stood up with a jolt. "I call bullshit on this," she spat, and she had turned on her heels and was up the stairs to her bedroom before anyone could argue with her.

Regina sighed and turned to look at the others. "Henry, why don't you spend some time saying goodbye to your grandparents, hm? I'm going to have a talk with your other mother."

Henry nodded obediently, and Regina stood up from her chair as well and slowly followed in Emma's footsteps. She had known beforehand that it wasn't going to be easy to make Emma accept these turn of events, but the blonde woman simply had to see reason. There was no other way; if everyone inside Storybrooke wasn't going to be swept up in Pan's evil curse, then Regina would have to undo everything, absolutely everything. Emma just had to realise that.

When she came upstairs, she found Emma angrily throwing her few possessions into an open duffel bag on the bed, and Regina carefully closed the door behind them, not wanting Henry – or even David or Mary Margaret – to overhear what they were going to talk about. She sneakily cast a silencing spell around the room as well, just to be on the safe side in case Emma decided to raise her voice.

"Emma," she started, but the blonde Saviour was quick to write her off.

"Nope," she hissed, not looking up from where she was hastily folding an old sweatshirt, "I am not talking to you. Not when you're going to give up on Henry, on Storybrooke, on, on _this,"_ she motioned at nothing, and Regina wasn't sure if she meant them or the family in general, "so easily."

She daintily took a seat on one side of the bed and tried once more, "Emma," she whispered as she placed a hand on the duffel bag to keep Emma from her frantic packing, "Emma, please listen to me."

Shaking her head, Emma turned to look at the shelf behind her, undoubtedly pretending to contemplate which belongings to pack – which was foolish, in Regina's opinion, because all of these things appeared to be Mary Margaret's as they somehow all had something to do with birds or other forest creatures.

Regina fisted her hand and tried again. Her patience was running low, because they really did not have much time; especially not for Emma's childish emotions. "Emma."

" _No_ ," Emma harshly said and spun around on her heel. When she looked at Regina, the brunette was surprised to see that there were tears brimming in her eyes. "Regina, you can't just-" she cut herself off, foot tripping against the floor.

Reaching a hand out to tug Emma slightly closer, Regina said, "I promise you I have examined every possibility, Emma, every each of them. This is the only way. I have to sacrifice what I love most." It pained her to say it, more than anything had ever pained her, but this was the way it had to be.

Emma let her hand un-fist and carefully tangled her fingers with Regina's. "But's it's not fair," she murmured, and she still sounded like a petulant child, but Regina could forgive her for that – just this once, when she was being petulant for her sake, even if it was tiring.

"It seems that I'm never meant to find a happy ending," Regina whispered as she tilted her head back to look up at Emma with shining eyes, "It's okay, I can live with that, as long as you and Henry are safe."

"But I'm gonna miss you so much," Emma said next, and her lip was quivering slightly as she gazed down at Regina. The tears were falling freely now, making their way down her pale cheeks – dotted with tiny freckles – and onto her neck. "What like, how am I even going to raise Henry without you?"

Tucking the other woman closer, Regina wrapped her arms around her midsection – such a show of intimacy that they rarely shared, at least not like this, not in the open air of daylight – and pressed her cheek to her stomach. "You won't remember," she whispered into the white fabric of Emma's tank top, "it'll be like you've been together all along."

Emma's hand came to rest in her hair. "But how?"

"My gift to you," Regina whispered, still not looking up from where she had practically, shamelessly, buried her face in Emma's body, "is good memories. It'll be like you never gave him up. You'll have always been together. You and Henry." She breathed the scent of Emma in through her nose and tried to commit it to memory; the connection she felt as she sat there, the bare need to have her cheek pressed exactly where it was. "It's the only way."

The hand in her hair tightened, "But it can't be."

Regina pulled away at that and tilted her head backwards to stare up at Emma, who was gazing down at her with so many conflicting emotions marring her face. She looked beautiful still; all open and honest like that, and Regina felt her heart ache at the thought of never seeing those green eyes looking at her like that again. "I wish it wasn't."

"Me too," Emma whispered, before she fell to her knees in front of Regina – sitting there, hands resting on the bed on either side of the brunette – and closed her eyes tightly.

Not able to stop herself, Regina reached a hand out and brushed a piece of golden hair behind Emma's ear. "Em-ma," she whispered and the need to do something, something completely foolish and all together stupid considering the turn of events, was very big. "About Neverland," she begun, and her heart beat faster at that, at the mere thought of Neverland and Emma and so many emotions.

Emma stiffened in front of her, her eyes turning slightly wide as they flickered from side to side, regarding Regina closely. The silence between them was electric, and Regina tried to read what was fleetingly present there. Emma's breath hitched in her throat. "Regina, don't," she whispered, and there was a desperate lilt to her voice, "I can't talk about this, not when you're gonna-"

Regina nodded. Her throat was suddenly so very dry and her skin so very hot. She let her hand fall to Emma's and gave it a long, hard squeeze. "Just," she licked her lips, eyes focused entirely on Emma's open face, "just know that I do, okay?"

There was a squeeze back from the other woman, fingers clammy inside Regina's own. "I know."

They stared at each other at that, brown locked on green, and breaths slightly ragged. There were so many other things Regina had prepared herself to say, other things she had needed to make clear, but she guessed that everything truly important had been shared between them anyway. She leaned forward at that and pressed her forehead against Emma's, relishing the feeling of having her right there – for the very last time. She closed her eyes and breathed in; Emma's hands were in her hair at that, nails raking across her scalp, and she let her own hands travel to Emma's face, too; she cupped her high cheekbones, thumbs stroking across the skin there. She let herself enjoy it for just ten seconds more, before she pulled back, reluctantly.

"We have to get a move on," she murmured, eyes flicking up to lock on Emma's once more. "You and Henry have to get to the townline in your car."

Emma breathed out through her nose, "Meet you there in fifteen minutes?"

Regina lifted her hand and nodded at Emma – her sweet, wonderful, sometimes so charmingly infuriating Emma – before disappearing in a fog of purple smoke. She landed in the downstairs kitchen, where she wasn't surprised to find Henry being smothered by his clingy grandparents, and Regina's heart warmed at the sight – despite her dislike for Mary Margaret and David, Henry was their grandson, and they loved him, just as he loved them.

"Mom?" Henry questioned as he pulled away from David's tight embrace.

"Let's walk together to the townline," Regina said, and she wrapped an arm around Henry's shoulders to guide him slowly out of the apartment. "I talked to Emma, and all of your things are in her car now. I went ahead and packed for you, hm?"

Henry nodded dutifully, clearly not concerned with material things at the moment, and the two of them set off towards the edge of town on foot. Regina wanted to savour these last precious moments with him; savour his closeness and his warmth, her little prince, the one thing that made her believe in love again. Their relationship hadn't always been easy, and there had been yelling, cursing and grounding, and a stubborn Henry who sneaked away to New York, but there was love there, always love, and Regina felt it so painfully inside of her as they talked and walked together.

"Promise me you'll be good for Emma, okay?" Regina said to him. The 'Leaving Storybrooke' sign was visible in the distance, even through the fog, and Regina knew that time was running out. "And be good in school, always do your best," she clutched him closer, pressing his body against hers as they walked. "And be _happy_ , Henry."

Henry looked up at her with a concerned expression on his childish face. It was a long time since he'd looked so young; the last weeks had aged him, being stuck in Neverland in Pan's claws had aged him, but right now he was her little boy; sweet and innocent. " _You_ be happy," he ordered. So sweet and innocent, and yet he said something like that.

Regina didn't know how she was ever going to be happy without Henry and his childish other mother, but she didn't tell him that, she didn't want to concern him more than necessary. She looked at him and said the only thing she could say if she had to be just a little honest with him, "I'll try."

"It's not fair," Henry shook his head, and she was reminded of the way Emma had uttered those exact words just thirty minutes ago in her bedroom at the loft. "After everything you've done to try and be good, you don't get to be with me. Was Ma mad about that too?"

Coming to a stop not very far from the invisible line that marked the end of their town, Regina turned to Henry and placed both hands on his shoulders. "Yes. Your mother was very mad about that, too. She tried to convince me that there had to be another way."

Henry's eyelids fluttered as he looked up at her. "There's really not?"

With a breaking heart, she said, "No. No, there's really not, my sweet little prince."

Blinking away tears, Henry flung himself at her and buried his face in her peacoat. She let one hand cradle the back of his head and the other curl around his back, and she hugged him, hugged him tight as she tried not to imagine what could have happened if she had stayed here, if this curse hadn't swept over their town. She'd been so sure – for just one glorious moment as they took Henry home on the Jolly Roger – that this was now the end, that she was finally going to find that happy ending she'd worked so hard for. Sure, it was a lot different from what she'd initially imagined it to be, but it was there, just within her grasp.

But now it was becoming abundantly clear that villains don't get happy endings. And if there was one thing she was certain of – it was that she was a villain in this piece.

The sound of the Bug coming closer pulled Henry and Regina apart, and she pressed a kiss to his forehead before they walked the rest of the way to the townline. She could hear sombre chatting in the distance; people were coming to say goodbye, and Emma parked her car right next to the sign and climbed out of it. Her red leather jacket was visible through the foggy smoke, and Regina let it guide them as everybody arrived and gathered together.

She didn't say anything; she simply watched as everybody – everybody important anyway – was saying goodbye to Henry and Emma. Mary Margaret and David were teary-eyed, and Neal was hugging Henry goodbye, saying he'd miss the son he'd barely gotten to know. Ruby was hugging them both farewell as well, pressing kisses to Emma's cheek and ensuring her that she'd do great by Henry in the outside world.

Emma was in a three-way hug with her parents, and as Henry moved to take over her spot, Regina and Emma walked slowly to the Bug, while the magic fog slowly crept closer, soon enveloping the entire town in its tendrils. Regina reached for Emma's hand and tugged it to herself, palming it between her own, and with a serious look in Emma's eyes, she said, "Are you ready?"

Emma nodded, a determined clench of her jaw visible, and Regina let the magic flow between their two bodies; she poured everything she had into this exchange, the made-up magic of a normal life in a metropolitan city fusing with her own memories of raising Henry; of first words, first steps, of late nights crying and food splattered across the kitchen counters. She thought of the first day at kindergarten, first day at school; of fights, of hugs, or summer days and winter nights. She mixed it with memories of a life in New York, of a pregnancy and picking Henry up after an ended prison sentence, and of friends, a job, and _so much love_ , and she wished with all of her heart that they would be happy.

"There," she whispered as she dropped Emma's hand again, their eyes still locked in a tight hold, "once you leave the townline, you and Henry will have a happy life."

Green eyes were soft as she said, "Yeah, but… you're not gonna be there, so what's the point?"

Regina lowered her gaze, "It won't matter. You'll not even know I'm gone."

Emma's lips were pursed slightly, "Regina-"

This time it was Regina's turn to cut her off, "No, Emma, don't, I'll just…" she swallowed loudly. Her heart was thudding madly in her chest, and this, this was the part that was _so unfair,_ because she wasn't going to be as lucky as Emma and Henry. "I'll remember," she finished, and then she did something that she probably shouldn't do, but she simply couldn't help herself. She stepped closer to Emma and raised to her toes to place a chaste kiss to her lips. "Take care," she breathed, because that was the safest thing to breathe of any.

"Regina," Mary Margaret's shaky voice broke through, and Regina didn't turn to meet her eyes, not daring to do so, not wanting to see the look in her eyes after what she'd just done, "you have to do it now."

Regina pressed a kiss to Henry's temple. "I love you, my little prince," she told him.

"I love you, Mom," Henry whispered back, and he was putting on a brave face, but his eyes were clouded over with tears, and his legs were shaking as he made his way to the passenger seat of the Bug. She swallowed back the bile in her throat as she watched the door smack closed behind him.

Emma had a hand on her open door when she turned to give Regina one last look. The determination was clear on her face, and such was the heartbreak, too. She offered Regina a curt nod before she bent her head and slipped into her car. Regina could see them both through the back window; she watched as Emma turned on the car and pressed her foot to the speeder.

Then she didn't watch anymore; she bent her head and pulled out the scroll from inside her coat. She unfolded it, murmured the words and watched it burn, just as the Bug drove past the invisible townline and the fog spiralled around them.

 _ **15 months later - New York City**_

The sound of her own personal alarm clock pulled Emma out of a dream-filled sleep; a dream of green forests, glowing hearts and burning brown eyes, and she rolled over in her queen sized bed and fumbled awkwardly on the nightstand after her cell phone to check the time. 7:23am, rather great for a Saturday, Emma mused to herself.

She sat up in her bed and immediately pulled her long hair out of her face by tying it in a bun on the top of her head. She found her glasses on the nightstand and put them on, all the while she could hear the familiar sound of crying from the small room attached to her own – the nursery. She'd left the door cracked open last night like she always did, and she groaned as her feet hit the cold floor of her bedroom.

Stretching, she got her mind ready for the day ahead of them; family-time, homework, groceries, a trip to the park. Just as she was about ready to face her crying daughter, the cries faded out, and she heard the low murmurs of her son whispering in the next room.

She crept across the floor silently, peeked through the door and watched Henry as he cradled his baby sister in his arms. "Don't worry, your big brother Henry is here, sis. I've got you. Ma is pretty tired, so you'll have to do with me for now, yeah?"

Alba gurgled happily, her big brown eyes staring up at Henry. She was probably hungry; it was right on time anyway, and she'd slept rather late this morning. When Emma decided to have another kid about two years ago, she knew it was going to be tough and hard work – a soon-to-be teenager and a infant as a single mom? – but she'd wanted it _so badly,_ she remembered, and when she'd broached the subject with Henry, he'd been really excited.

She knew it wasn't the most conventional way to continue their family, but when had anything with her ever been? An orphan, no family, a jail-sentence at only seventeen. A birth in prison which resulted in her coming out to an infant son that she simply hadn't had the heart to send into the system; the system she herself had suffered through, never feeling wanted. For a long time, she'd dreamed of finding a partner to share Henry with, and a possibility for more children, but she never found the right person – man or woman - to share her life and her son with. The desire to have another child though? It had never faltered, and that was why she'd ended up deciding to do it on her own.

"I'm making Ma breakfast in the kitchen," Henry continued to coo down at Alba, his nose so close to her little nose. It warmed Emma's heart; both his words and what he was doing for her, but also the sight of the only two people she loved in this world. "Do you want to come help your big bro?"

Emma couldn't stop herself as she pushed the door open, pulling her children out of their little bubble, "I'm up, Kid," she murmured as she stepped into the room and gently took Alba out of Henry's arms, "I think someone's hungry," she added and pressed a kiss to her daughter's dark hair and breathed in her baby scent. They'd started on solid food now, but the first meal of the day was usually breastmilk.

"Awesome, I made you food," Henry proudly smiled, and Emma pressed a kiss to the top of his head as they made their way towards their open space kitchen. Something smelled absolutely wonderful, and Henry served himself hot chocolate and Emma a cup of decaf coffee, before pouring eggs and bacon and toast onto their plates.

Emma watched him move helpfully around the kitchen – how she had raised such a good and wonderful boy was still beyond her on most days – as she let Alba latch onto her nipple to feed. She nibbled at her toast and sipped her coffee, and Henry sat down opposite her and took a large gulp of hot chocolate.

He scrunched up his nose, "Forgot the cinnamon," he said and quickly slipped off his chair to grab the dispenser.

Brushing Alba's hair back, Emma smiled warmly at him. "So what do you wanna do today, Kid? You've got a lot of homework?"

Henry hummed, "I have my science project that I need to meet with Troy for, and then I have my essay for English – I'm still not sure what to write on that, so I might do it tomorrow." He scooped some eggs into his mouth and chewed slowly before continuing, "What do you want to do?"

"I was gonna take Alba to the park, get some fresh air. It'd be great if you joined us." Emma replied as she transferred Alba to the other breast. It wasn't always that Henry was interested in joining her for their walks anymore, he was busy with his friends and school, and she was okay with that; she just loved it when he did go with her.

"That sounds cool. Maybe we can go to the comic book store?" His eyes shone hopefully, and Emma couldn't deny his request.

Her lips curled around her mug as she said, "Sure thing, Kid."

"And then after you can walk me to Troy's so we can finish the project," Henry confirmed.

Emma said, "So what's your project about?" which made Henry launch into a long story about their project for school and Troy's idea, and Emma listened and hummed in the right places, while she finished nursing Alba and burping her. Once they were done eating and chatting, she'd have to get her changed and ready – and herself too, of course, although that was hardly the most important thing these days – and then they could stroll to the park and enjoy the early Saturday weather.

"…anyway," Henry finished as he pushed his chair back and moved to gather their plates, "I should probably have a quick shower." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head – such a grown-up thing to do, which was a habit he'd acquired while she was pregnant with Alba – and rushed down the hallway to their bathroom.

Emma stared down at Alba and said, "Do you need a new diaper, baby?"

Alba gurgled back at her, and not for the first time was Emma amazed at how beautiful her daughter looked. She remembered Henry when he was this age; he hadn't been nearly as alert, and their features were so different. Where Henry had ended up with her green eyes and light complexion, Emma was pretty sure that Alba was mostly a product of the donor's DNA. Of course she saw resemblances of herself and Henry in Alba already – that nose was definitely a Swan-nose – but her hair was darker; already growing wildly at her age, heck she even came out with some, and her brown eyes were so big and round, a far shade from her own. Her daughter was beautiful, Emma could see that, and she always got coos from random strangers in the park or on the street, telling her that 'her husband _had_ to be Latinx'. Emma always made it very clear that she did not have a husband and that she had no idea about her donor's background.

She couldn't even really recall what made her choose this exact donor in the first place. Actually, whenever she thought too much about Alba's conception and the decisions leading up to it, her mind went a little foggy. She assumed it was because she'd been so nervous about her decision, frightened that it might not be the right choice for her and Henry.

Emma was pulled out of her train of thoughts by the sound of a knock on her door. Henry was clearly in the shower already, she could hear the water running, and she wondered if it might be some of his friends – he had so many in this building, and even just on this street – who had come by to pick up something they forgot or to ask Henry if he wanted to play video games. She pushed her chair back and adjusted Alba to rest comfortably against her side and slipped down the hallway. Pulling the door open, Emma did not see one of Henry's friends from school in front of her. Instead she saw a woman – a beautiful, well-dressed woman with dark hair and striking features - and the woman's face lit up as her eyes landed on Emma's face.

"Em-ma," she breathed, and Emma felt her eyes turn wide at the familiar way her name slipped across those dark red lips. Why did she feel such a sense of familiarity at those words? Why did that throaty voice remind her of _something_?

She clutched Alba closer and shifted on her feet, "Yeah?"

The stranger's eyes swept from Emma's face and instead landed on the baby in her arms. Brown eyes – such familiar, familiar brown eyes – turned wide and she took a step back, away from the door. "No," she murmured, and before Emma could say anything, the stranger had turned on her heel and fled down the hallway.

* * *

A/N: Yeeeeeees, as I said, this has been done before, BUT as I also said, putting my own spin on it and combining some of my favourite kind of things about Swanqueen fics. I do hope I haven't lost all of you already, so please let me know what you think; should I continue this fic or not?

You can find me at tumblr as stefania-holubko and twitter as stefaniaholubko if you wanna shoot ideas at me or just chat.


	2. Chapter Two: The Enchanted Forest

A/N: You guys blew my mind with your feedback, thank you! I'm sure we're all sad now that the show is officially over, but thankfully we still have fanfic 3 and in honour of that, here's an extra long one for you guys. A bit about this chapter: It focuses on Regina's year in the Enchanted Forest, so no direct Emma or Henry; only in Regina's mind. I took some liberties with the magic in this fic, as I can't quite always figure out the 'rules' of magic on the show, so just go with me, okay?

Warning: This chapter contains a character death, although not someone most Swanqueen fans care much for (now you can try to guess who it is). And this chapter is heavy on the Snow & Regina friendship!

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWO – THE ENCHANTED FOREST**

The entirety of Storybrooke's citizens appeared in the Enchanted Forest in a fog of smoke; scattered around in a few miles radius, everyone looked around themselves to take in their new, but very familiar, surroundings. They were in the small town leading up to the White Castle, Regina recognised it instantly, and while others seemed relieved to appear back in their old realm, Regina felt the pain in her chest immediately; a stark contrast to the elated faces she could see around her.

It felt as if Mother had reached into her chest, pulled out her still-red heart and was squeezing it tightly between her claw-like fingers. Regina almost doubled over from the pain of it – the sheer realisation that _this was it;_ it had actually happened. She was back in the Enchanted Forest, and Henry and Emma were in New York City with new memories and a new life.

Looking around her, Regina stalked towards a lonely corner, needing to be free of all these people who didn't matter, so she could.. do something. Feel something? She ignored Mary Margaret's frantic calling of her name, and she wished deeply that the Queen would be busy sorting everything out, too busy to worry about the fallen Evil Queen's feelings on these matters. But no such luck; she heard feet patting after her, determined to catch her.

"Regina," Mary Margaret called, ignoring a loyal subject who spoke of her true name with elation, "Regina!" Her voice was insistent now and it appeared closer, but Regina rounded a corner, pretending not to hear her as she found what she needed – solitude. But Mary Margaret was nothing if not persistent, and her round face appeared around the corner, regarding Regina with worried eyes. So much for solitude. "Regina?"

Regina stared straight into nothing as she balled her fists by her sides. "Mary Margaret, can you not-? I just need-?" She didn't know what she was trying to say, and traitorous tears were appearing in her eyes, threatening to fall, and it was just _too much,_ everything was too much. No Henry. No Emma. God. No _Henry_. No _Emma_.

"What was that about?" Mary Margaret questioned her, coming to a stop in front of her face, thus forcing them to look at each other. "What just happened at the townline?"

She did look very concerned, and not at all furious or disgusted, Regina had to give her that, but how did she even begin to explain to Snow White what she felt for her daughter? It wasn't even important anymore. "It doesn't matter," Regina replied and defiantly tilted her head to the other side, eyes resting upon the brick wall.

Mary Margaret furrowed her brow in confusion and stepped even closer. "Well, I think it matters," she softly said, and Regina was forced to turn her head back and look into those green eyes that reminded her so much of Emma's. "Did you just kiss Emma?"

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Regina replied with the only other protection she knew – sarcasm. "Well, assuming you having working eyesight, it's pretty evident that I just did, Mary Margaret."

Not even flinching at Regina's tone, Mary Margaret continued, "Has it happened before?" Not accusatory, still with that soft voice, almost intrigued. Regina had a really hard time understanding this woman at most times.

"Do you really want to have this conversation with me?" Regina retorted, crossing her arms in front of her chest and tapping her heel lightly against the ground. "Me, of all people? About _your daughter_."

Her attempts to annoy Mary Margaret did not seem to faze the other woman at all. She simply tilted her head to the other side and studied Regina for a few seconds with an almost naked curiosity. "I think it has," she softly concluded next, and Regina found it very hard not to give into her pleading, almost unbearable softness.

Regina looked up at that, meeting the other woman's eyes head on, not wavering at this. She sighed. "Mary Margaret, can we not?" She pursed her lips, and her heart was beating madly inside her chest, because this was too much, simply too much; she had said goodbye to the _only_ two people she- and her life's work- and, and, and now _this._ She couldn't, not right now. "Don't you have subjects to talk to, a castle to get reacquainted with?"

Mary Margaret's eyes fluttered and she lowered her stance, relaxing slightly. "I suppose so," she whispered, but it was clear that she was very reluctant to let this go. "Are you OK?"

Swallowing loudly, Regina plastered a smile onto her face and said, "I promise we can talk about this, OK?" She paused, appreciating the kindness in Mary Margaret's eyes. "I just need some time, and you need to get your kingdom sorted out." She gave a curt nod, "We'll talk, I promise."

Shoulders relaxing, Mary Margaret said, "Okay. But _promise_ to come to me, if you…" she trailed off, and Regina had a feeling what was coming next, what she was too afraid to say aloud for fear of what it might elicit, "you know _feel_ … urges," she stopped herself, brow furrowed.

"If I feel the need to go dark, you mean?" Regina chuckled throatily, because that had not even been on her radar at this point. "I promise."

Mary Margaret patted her gently on the arm a few times, before she left their quiet corner to return to the rest of the citizens of Storybrooke; there were things to do, arrangements to be made, and all of them would be looking towards their Queen for guidance. So while Mary Margaret returned to get a start on that, Regina threw a burst or purple towards a dusty, cobweb-covered basket in the corner and lit it on fire.

—-

And so the first many weeks passed in the newly awoken White Kingdom. Citizens who had not been swept up in the first curse made themselves known; Kings and Queens of other kingdoms, workers who helped rebuild the once mighty kingdom in the Enchanted Forest. Regina did not return to the Dark Castle, she had no wish to do so. She was tethering on the edge of darkness, and returning to her old home with all its remedies might send her reeling. Instead, she helped Mary Margaret and David where she could, but mostly she spent time in what had come to be her chambers, only magicking herself out when she needed to acquire something. She didn't eat many meals with them either, although she could tell that Mary Margaret was desperate for her company, but the fear of the upcoming talk that she had _promised_ to have – and she had promised, because it had been the only way to get Mary Margaret off her back – possessed her to stay mostly to herself. It wasn't a new feeling by any means, spending so much time alone, so she allowed herself to wallow in self-pity and memories of her life in Storybrooke before she came to the conclusion that it simply wouldn't have to do.

She couldn't _live_ like this. It wasn't possible to live with the memory of Henry, her sweet little boy, and the life they had shared together for eleven years. It wasn't possible to handle the memories of Emma's whispers and the feel of her lips pressed chastely against Regina's in a desperate attempt to stop the inevitable departure. No, she had chosen to forget before in the act of self-protection, and she would choose to forget again.

It was rather easy to obtain the needed ingredients for a forgetting potion, and Regina told no one, afraid of what they would say to stop her. She was determined, if this was to be her life right now, she would give herself the best odds. It was hard to think about the fact that she would forget her son and his infuriating birthmother, but she also knew that once it was done, it wouldn't matter anyhow. It was like she had told Emma; if one doesn't remember, one won't feel the loss.

So her chambers also became her secret vault; she brewed and drained, read and magicked, did everything she had to do to create that potion, and it was going to be ready any day now. One gulp from the liquid, and she'd be free. The pain would be gone; she'd be back to her old self. It meant a hole in her heart and a lot of fury, but everything was better than the sheer and utter agonising pain she was feeling right now.

She avoided everyone as she did her thing; ignored Mary Margaret's or Ruby's insistent knocks on her door, pretended not to hear Neal when he followed her around the castle, desperate to talk to her. He was under the assumption that they could somehow find a way to return to Henry and Emma; that if she and him worked together, they might find passage to another realm, and if they could just brew memory potions —- Regina thought he was an idiot. At least three of the ingredients to brew a memory potion were ingredients not even she had easy access to, and Hook had left on the Jolly Roger the second he had the chance; eager to get away from all the uncursed people, so they could not use him as passage to another realm.

But of course Mary Margaret would not let her wallow alone forever; most of the other people had been happy to leave her alone, afraid of what her separation from her son might do to her, but not Mary Margaret – Queen Snow of the White Kingdom. Only she, occasionally Ruby who apparently had _promised_ Emma to watch out for her, and even Archie, now in his cricket form, dared to make contact for real. Thus, one day Regina returned from one of her walks – the forest offered her a form of solitude that no place in the castle could – only to be ambushed by Mary Margaret near the east tower.

"Regina," the round-faced woman said, eyes sweeping over Regina's form in judgement, "can we talk for a second?"

Sighing, Regina followed the shorter woman into one of the smaller chambers where Mary Margaret had set up for tea. They each took a seat, pouring hot water and leaves into each a cup, and Mary Margaret blew lightly on hers as she watched Regina through fluttering eyelashes. Regina did her best to ignore the other woman's prying gaze, focused entirely on the very important task of sipping her tea. If Mary Margaret wanted to talk to her, Regina sure as hell wasn't going to open the conversation.

Mary Margaret placed her cup on the table. "Regina, how are you settling in here?"

"Fine," Regina simply commented, not wanting to meet those green eyes. Green eyes that were hauntingly familiar to two other pairs of eyes she was having troubles living without.

Mary Margaret sighed heavily. "Somehow I doubt that."

Rolling her eyes, Regina placed her cup down as well and stared at the woman across from her. She didn't have the patience for any of these soft questions, of beating around the bush; if Mary Margaret wanted to talk, she might as well just get to it. "Can't you just ask what you really want to ask me?" Regina arched an eyebrow, ready with a challenge, "Come on, ask me."

Fidgeting with her cup, Mary Margaret softly said, "Regina…"

"Ask me why I kissed Emma," Regina dared her.

Mary Margaret straightened her back. "Alright," she lightly said, swiping her short bangs to the side, "why did you kiss Emma?"

Regina mirrored her position and daintily sipped her tea, taking her sweet time answering her former step-daughter. "I will tell you, dear Snow," she licked her lip, "I kissed your daughter because I care deeply for her. I had my last chance to do that, and I took it. Emma was aware of my feelings beforehand."

Squinting slightly as she tilted her head to the side, Mary Margaret continued, "So it wasn't the first kiss you guys shared?"

Ignoring the question, Regina just stared at her. Sometimes, no verbal response was the best response. At least that way she didn't say anything that Emma didn't want her parents to know. Not that it mattered at this point anyway.

"Does she love you, too?" Mary Margaret queried. Her eyes were soft as they glanced over Regina, carefully taking her in, swiping across her pursed lips to her eyes, before locking on them. Regina couldn't read the look on her face; usually it was so easy with Snow White, but right now it was difficult. She couldn't tell whether the other woman was angry, confused or something else. "Alright," Mary Margaret gave a curt nod, "You don't want to talk about it. But believe me Regina, we're _gonna_ talk about it at some point."

Regina picked up her teacup, "I don't doubt that, dear."

Mary Margaret smiled, "But until you're ready for that, why don't you join Ruby and I in the fighting classes we're hosting everyday? Can't hurt to brush up on your skills with a sword and a bow and arrow."

"Magic is my chosen weapon, Snow," Regina replied easily, relishing the hot tea streaming down her throat. She was thankful that the other woman had decided to let her questions of Emma and love slide for now, although she'd never verbally tell her so. She let the subject-change happen. "No need to give me more of an advantage in a fight."

Laughing, Mary Margaret said, "I was hoping you'd be on our side from now on, in which case it's a very good thing that you have an advantage."

Regina regarded her, pondering the suggestion. She had to admit, it wasn't magically going to make her change her mind about being happy here, or make her forget the potion brewing in her chambers, but perhaps it wouldn't be too horrible to procure a new skill. "Who's hosting this class?"

Mary Margaret's smile could not have been bigger than it was right that moment; she looked totally and utterly pleased at the prospect of Regina joining these classes. "My friend Mulan who came to find us a few weeks ago along with her friend Merida from the Kingdom of DunBroch." She looked so happy about this, so pleased that she had successfully managed to convince Regina of anything, that the older woman did not have the heart to let her down. Plus, she tried to imagine Henry's face if he ever were to find out that she learned how to sword-fight – he'd be so proud of her.

"Fine," Regina gave a curt nod, "you can expect my attendance."

And so Regina spent her mornings fighting with swords and shooting arrows all the while brushing up on her horseback riding. That was a skill she had never forgotten, even during thirty years in Storybrooke, and it gave her quite a thrill to be back on a horse. The horse she borrowed from the stables wasn't anything compared to Rocinante, but it was still a great pleasure to ride through the forest, racing with Mary Margaret who had, thankfully, become quite more adapt at riding a horse than the time Regina had to save her from one.

Her afternoons were spent alone in her chambers, and at night she was haunted by dreams in the most excruciating way; she dreamt in memories of Henry as a child, memories of their life in Storybrooke and fantasies of a future. She dreamt of a night in the humid Neverland air, of two mothers coming together, of truths being whispered and feelings being kissed out between two sets of lips. She dreamt of wandering hands, deep green eyes, ragged breaths and woke gasping for air and with a throbbing between her thighs.

It continued like this, the days melting into one another as Regina got ready to forget, until one day Neal followed her through the courtyard and finally caught up with her near the stables on her way to groom her horse and get ready for a ride through the woods. She tried to shake him off, but he'd been rather persistent and today he'd finally had enough of waiting.

"Regina, stop for just a second, will you?" Neal's hand came to rest around her wrist, haltering her in her steps.

She turned around and angrily pulled her arm from his grasp. "Unhand me," she ordered, and she wanted to set fire to his annoying boyish face.

Neal shuffled awkwardly on his feet. "I've been trying to talk to you. I think I might have an idea as to how to get to New York-"

Sighing, Regina said, "Are you an idiot, like your idiot father? There's _no way_ to get to New York. Hook is gone!" She glared at him and as usual was baffled by the fact that this man had ever managed to win the love of Emma Swan. How, just – how? And half of Henry's DNA was his! Amazingly her son had turned out quite intelligent. "And even if we did get there, Henry and Emma still won't remember us."

Regina loathed the fact that she even lumped herself in with this man – calling them an 'us' as if they could ever be compared – but they did have something in common at this point; they both cared for Emma and Henry, although Regina was quite certain that Neal could not care even a small percentage of what she did.

"A memory potion," Neal said and stuck his hands into his pockets.

Stepping closer, Regina leered down at him, taller in her high-heeled boots. "And how would you acquire such a thing? I don't have _half_ of the ingredients at hand to make us one _and_ it takes five months to brew it."

Neal opened his mouth to object, but Regina threw her hand in the air and transported herself to her chambers to check on her forgetting potion. It was just sitting there, in a vial on her desk. Perhaps just another week and she'd be ready to drink it.

Another month passed, and Regina had not gotten around to drinking the potion yet. She told herself that she was just allowing herself a bit more time with the memories of Henry – and Emma – before giving them up forever. Something made her reluctant to drink that vial, and it sat there, on her table, taunting her everyday where she allowed herself to feel sorry for herself, to wallow, to cry at the memories of lost love. Truth was, perhaps she enjoyed the pity, enjoyed a reason to stay like this, and if she drank that drink, who knew what could happen? Vaguely she might fear that the Evil Queen would come out to play, because wasn't that who she was underneath it all? Without Henry? Without Emma? It was easier, safer, to be Regina, so the potion stayed on her table and she eyed it everyday.

It wasn't until one afternoon that Regina returned from a brisk walk through the woods – she had taken to wandering around to get her frustrations out as she thought of Emma and Henry, wondered what they might be up to in New York; if they had friends, a great home and a happy life – that she had decided that today was the day she was going to drink it. She'd allowed herself time to dream of the two people she had given up and then decided to herself that it was the last time and that from tomorrow she'd move on to a new life where she wouldn't be haunted by memories and what could have beens.

Except when she entered her chambers she was not alone. Mary Margaret was sitting on her stool, staring at the vial and its set-up on the table, book open on her lap on the exact page that Regina had marked many months ago. A lot of time had passed, too much maybe, how had she managed to let it slide by so easily? Mary Margaret had not tried to talk about the kiss again, and Regina had been thankful for that, but she sensed that the other woman wasn't going to let this discovery go unnoticed so easily.

"Snow," Regina breathed in a greeting as she came to a halt inside her room, closing the door behind her.

Mary Margaret stared disbelievingly at her, "Is this what I think it is?" she demanded to know, tapping the open book in her lap with a sharp finger.

Regina retorted, "I don't know? For me to answer that, you'd have to tell me what you think it is." She took a seat on her bed, carefully slipping out of her jacket as she refused to meet the other woman's eyes. She did not have the stomach for righteous Snow White today of all days, not when she had finally convinced herself that today was the perfect day to drink the potion; not when she was finally ready to say goodbye to Henry and Emma and the pain edged so deeply into her heart.

Mary Margaret gestured exasperatedly, "A forgetting potion!" she screeched, eyes turning impossibly wide, "Regina, a _forgetting potion_!" She repeated herself, as if that would have extra impact on her words.

Regina sighed, "Well, look at that, it is what you think it is, dear."

Leaping from her chair, spell book falling to the floor, Mary Margaret sat on the bed next to Regina. "Are you seriously thinking of drinking this?" she questioned, face growing soft as she met Regina's eyes. " _Regina_ … this is not the way to go."

"You don't know anything," Regina told her pointedly. "You don't know how I can best cope with the loss of my son. I know best."

Mary Margaret shook her head. "I know that no amount of pain is worth forgetting your kid over." There were tears shimmering in her eyes, and Regina loathed her stupid sensitivity. "Never. Even _how_ much it hurts."

Regina sneered at her. "I lost _my son_ , Mary Margaret. Don't pretend to know how I feel."

"We all lost something this time around," Mary Margaret said, and Regina hated that she was being so sweet to her – why couldn't she just sneer or yell or something? This kindness was _killing_ her. "I lost my daughter – for the _second time._ But I'm choosing to have _hope,_ choosing to have faith that I'll see both her and Henry again."

Regina turned her head away, not wanting to meet Mary Margaret's eyes; not with the way her words sent hot pangs through her chest. "Even so, Mary Margaret, do you really want to change Emma and Henry's lives _again_? They're probably happy in New York. No curses, not villains, just… ordinary things." She whispered the last part, and she felt the words so deeply inside of her. Yes, she might be in pain everyday for the rest of her life (not if Mary Margaret allowed her to drink that potion sitting so neatly on her desk over there), but she wasn't going to ruin Emma and Henry's happiness. They _deserved_ this, more than anyone. And she could live without them if she just knew that she'd done everything in her might to ensure that they were happy and safe.

"They don't want to live cursed lives," Mary Margaret replied, head shaking from side to side. "No, not if they had a choice. I refuse to believe that. _I know them._ And they'd rather be with us – with you – if they could."

As always, Mary Margaret's hopeful speech ignited something even inside Regina's heart, even if she had made her decision and refused to believe that it could be altered. There was the spark though, that little flame of hope that Mary Margaret's words lit inside of her. She clenched her jaw, breaths coming out short. "I don't think so, Snow, I think Emma would…" she trailed off, not even sure what words to use to convince Mary Margaret that they shouldn't mess with Emma and Henry's New York Happy Ending.

The younger woman continued her hopefulness, almost breathlessly, "It's not as if it's not an option for the two us, you know, to find them again? Not like with Neal…" she trailed off, eyes wavering slightly, "He lost his father for good."

Regina scoffed, happy to be able to focus on something else at last. "Well thank God we don't need to worry about Rumpelstiltskin's antics right now. Although another curse might have been good entertainment at this point." She should probably have been more affected by the fact that her old teacher was gone, but at this time in their relationship she no longer cared for the imp. Seeing as he had technically been Henry's grandfather there was a fondness there, but not enough to mourn him as a loss. He always was good entertainment though; she'd foolishly forgotten just how dull life in the Enchanted Forest could be when you were not young and in love or consumed by vengeance.

Mary Margaret's eyes popped wide open at that comment. "Actually," she softly said, and Regina could feel her excitement clearly, "…that's not a bad idea!"

Arching an eyebrow, Regina stared at her. "What do you mean?"

It was hard for Mary Margaret to hide her eagerness and she clutched at Regina's hand tightly. "Forgive me if I'm wrong, but isn't another curse exactly what we'd need to get back to Storybrooke?"

Regina stared at her in pure confusion. Was she suggesting what Regina thought she was? That was insane! But then again, Snow White did have a tendency for insanity whenever it had anything to do with love or family. "You want to cast another Dark Curse?"

"Why not!?" Mary Margaret eagerly continued, cheeks pinking and lips curling. "I want to get back to Emma if possible, and Storybrooke may have been created for us to lose our happy endings, but it's _home_ and it's _nice_."

Eyeing the other woman, Regina contemplated her decision; between Snow and Neal she was starting to believe that it might just be _possible_ for them to get back. What was the unfamiliar feeling coming to life inside her chest? _Hope?_ Is that really what that felt like? Of course everything had to fall in place, and that was far off, but if – if – although they were forgetting _one_ thing. She sighed deeply. "For us to cast the Dark Curse, someone would have to give up the thing they love most. I don't see a long line of people willing to do that, do you? "

Frowning, Mary Margaret objected, "No, but…"

Regina continued, annoyed and on a roll. Why did insipid Snow White think she knew anything about true sacrifice and curses? She knew nothing! "And I can't do it this time around as you're very well aware of. I have nothing left to give up."

"But isn't that exactly why you _can?_ " Mary Margaret breathed.

 _Oh God._ Why did that insipid woman not understand anything? "Congratulations, you have once again managed to make no sense whatsoever," Regina sneered. She flicked a bug off the comforter on her bed and watched it fall helplessly to the ground.

Mary Margaret pulled at her hand, trying to draw her attention. "Forgive me if my knowledge of curses is lacking, but if you cast the Dark Curse and send the rest of us to Storybrooke," she tittered, round cheeks glowing happily, and Regina wanted to object, because _that_ made even less sense than Neal's suggestion. "…doesn't that mean you give up on the thing you love most?"

Staring at her, Regina truly tried to follow her train of thoughts. Not because she wanted to understand the other woman, but because it actually, somehow, kind of made sense. _If_ she were to make another curse and send them all back – herself not included, which she was skilled enough to do – she could alter the curse to make sure they all kept their memories, and then she would have technically given up on the one thing that even brought some sense of hope to her life – the possibility of perhaps returning to Emma and Henry. It was far-fetched, crazy, but perhaps just crazy enough to work. She'd seen other people alter curses more drastically. She wet her lips with a swipe of her to tongue. "But if I send you back… how will that help me?"

The younger woman's face lit up with the realisation that Regina hadn't written her idea off entirely. "Well, if Storybrooke is created again, all you'd need is a magic bean to come find us there. And then you can get to New York!"

Although it was hard to resist the other woman's excitement, there was a huge flaw in that plan, and Regina was not slow to point it out. Rather now than before she got caught up in the excitement herself and felt hope blossom in her chest. "Yes, but I seem to be fresh out of magic beans at the moment."

Mary Margaret had the audacity to roll her eyes. "Yes, but Neal's planning to go to his father's castle with or without you. He's determined to find ingredients for that memory potion, so him, Mulan and Merida are making the journey there," she shrugged her shoulders, offering a small smile, "You could join them. Search for a bean, make sure they gather the right ingredients for the potion. Isn't it probable the he might have a bean or two stashed there as well?"

It was probable. Actually, it was _highly_ probable. But for the curse to work, Regina had to believe that she'd never see Emma and Henry again, otherwise, she'd not _give up the thing she loves most._ She was already taking the physical heart out of the equation by having to swap it with the metaphorical heart of Henry and Emma - she still wasn't sure what that should be, but she had a few ideas – so altering too much on the intricate curse might ruin it. It couldn't hurt to find out though, if there was a bean or two. Plus, if they were going to look for ingredients, she'd rather join them so they didn't accidentally pick up the wrong kinds. She was sure that Neal would have tried to convince her to brew it once they got back to the White Castle; she was, after all, the most skilled witch in this realm, so who else would he be able to ask?

She still wasn't entirely sure that it was the right thing to wake Henry and Emma from their happy ending, but Mary Margaret seemed to believe that it was. Plus, Regina knew her son – he'd want to be awake with his real memories. So if she did this, she could send the rest of them back and they could make sure that Emma and Henry woke up to be their true selves. If that wasn't sacrifice enough on Regina's part to make the Dark Curse work, she wasn't sure what would be.

She wetted her lips again and stared at Mary Margaret with determination, "Alright. Tell them they should be ready to leave at sun-up. I can only transport us so far, the rest will have to be by foot."

—-

They appeared in the closest village to Rumpelstiltskin's former home. Neal eyed the castle with vague worry, his eyes moving over it as it stood looming in the background, towering behind the grey and cold village. They still had some ground to cover, and Mulan – who had not been pleased with the fact that they had to use magic to get this far – adjusted her sword and turned to look at them.

"We better get started if we want to get there by sun-down." Her dark eyes swept over them, and Regina found that they rested a bit longer on her; she just wasn't certain what that look in the other woman's eyes meant.

Merida tucked a wild curl behind her ear and stood up straight. "Aye, let's get to it," she clutched her bow and the satchel above her shoulder and swept past Mulan to start their trek out of the village which appeared to have been deserted for a long time.

Regina and Neal eyed each other wearily, before they set after the two women who made good time from the get-go, just as Regina had known they would. They didn't exactly seem like the nervous, diligent types. Regina suspected they'd have to face a whole trial of enchantments made to keep people out of the castle once they got to their destination, and once more she scoffed at the thought that Neal had wanted to go on this quest without her. As if these three people would have ever made it through Rumpelstiltskin's traps by force alone; no, things like this were more… delicate.

If Regina had thought that she'd be able to walk in silence with her thoughts – halfway yearning for a forgetting potion she'd probably never get to drink now, lest this quest was a failure, which it might very well turn out to be – she'd highly underestimated the annoyance of Neal Cassidy. Honestly, what had Emma ever seen in him? He fell into step beside her and after a silence that lasted all of thirty seconds, he said, "I'm so glad you decided to join me on this trip after all."

She stepped over a log on the ground, eyes trained on the obstacle-covered dirt beneath her feet. "Well, Mr. Cassidy, if there's a chance I might get to see Henry again…" she trailed off, certain that that statement didn't need any more of an explanation. Henry was her son after all, in ways that Neal would never be able to understand or comprehend in that feeble brain of his. It didn't really matter that she hardly believed she _would_ see Henry again; it was just the only explanation she was able to offer the man.

Neal side-eyed her as they walked. "Yeah, and Emma too, right?" There was a pause as he expected her to answer, but Regina wasn't going to give him the satisfaction; her heart clenched painfully at the thought of Emma, but it also filled with fury at the notion that this man-child had had Emma – and she'd been ready to follow him everywhere, a mere 17-year-old – and he'd abused that; hurt her, thrown her away. Sure, it had all been part of a greater scheme out of his hands, but he'd still made those decisions, decided to let her rot in a jail-cell and leave her. "I mean, we all saw what happened at the townline…" he trailed off.

Regina turned her head up to glare at him. "Yes, Mr. Cassidy, and what of it?"

He held his hands up, palms faced forward, in defence. "It's pretty clear that you think of her a more than just Henry's other mother, am I right?" He chuckled nervously, a finger coming up to scratch his scruffy chin. "I can't say I blame you, she's pretty amazing, I mean, I know _I_ missed my chance years ago, but Emma's…"

As he stopped talking, Regina tilted her head up to sneak a glance at his eyes; she wasn't sure what she was going to accomplish by that, but she saw that he was real. "Emma is Henry's other mother, and I sent them away knowing that he'd be safe and sound with her. I don't _need_ to get back, because I know they'll both be alright."

"But do you want to get back?" Neal asked her next, and she was about to ask him if he was an idiot and that _of course_ she'd like to go back if possible, when he continued, "I mean, did you want to _be with_ Emma?"

Regina stared at him, short dark locks flying in the wind, not sure what to say. She wavered, eyebrows knitted together and with a madly beating heart. "I'm not sure that's any of your business," she settled on saying instead, turning her head to glance forward, Merida's red hair like a beacon ahead of them.

Neal chuckled drily, "I saw Emma's face," he said, falling behind her slightly as she sped up, eager to get out of this conversation that she hadn't even wished to be a part of to begin with. "I mean, that wasn't the first time you guys kissed, it looked way too familiar for that. You might fool Snow and everyone else, but…"

She swirled around, coming to a halt abruptly and turned to stare straight at her son's father who managed to stop walking before he ran into her. "Your _point,_ Mr. Cassidy?" she snapped. Her cheeks were on fire, burning hot with annoyance and rage, and something like nervousness, because apparently this man-child had figured her out.

"My point?" Neal cheekily replied, and his eyes were glistening teasingly. "My point is that I know Emma, okay? And she looked devastated to leave you there." His eyes and his voice had gone soft at the last part, and Regina felt her throat constrict painfully at his words. "And I guess that it wasn't just because of Henry, so…." He straightened his back, eyeing her, "I want to get back to them, not because I want to be with Emma. But I'm doing this for her sake, okay? She wouldn't want to lead a fake, cursed life if she could choose. She'd want to be with the woman she cares for."

Regina didn't know what to say to that, so she simply gaped up at him, eyes wide and open. He looked sincere, like he really did just have Emma and Henry's best interests at heart, and that was such an unfamiliar look for her to see on anyone's face. He offered her a boyish, sideways smile.

"Aye," Merida's voice broke through their determined silence as she stomped back to them, annoyance written across her face, "Less yappin' and more walking, 'ey? We haven't got all day!"

Neal offered Regina another look before he stepped past her and continued to walk ahead.

—-

They made it inside the castle, Mulan and Merida fighting off enchanted beasts and armours, while Neal did his best to use his thief-like tendencies and Regina fired blasts of magic. Once inside, Neal went off in search for magic beans – which was probably a lost cause, Regina had to tell herself that if this plan was ever going to work – while Regina searched through Rumpelstiltskin's chamber, checking vials, boxes, jars and containers. Mulan stood guard, and Merida trailed between her and Regina, not able to stand still for very long; too curious to keep her fingers to herself.

"If you touch that, you'll turn into a toad," Regina grumbled, and Merida retracted her hand at once.

The redhead sighed heavily. "What's takin' so long, 'ey? I need to get back to my kingdom."

Regina resisted the temptation to roll her eyes. "Some of these ingredients are hard to procure." She trailed her finger across the glass jars in front of her and stopped, "Ah, dragon's eggshell," she whispered as she lifted the jar and squinted at the cracked pieces of eggshells inside of it. "Should be enough for two potions."

Merida leaned forward and glanced at the jar. "Someone's gonna drink that?"

"Yes," Regina curtly said before she turned on her heel to rummage through the shelves on the other side.

The redhead followed, clearly interested in her search. "Look, can I help? This ain't my first run-in with magic. My dad always said-"

"You can go search for Neal and help with the beans," Regina cut her off, and Merida sighed heavily before she left the small room, mumbling something to Mulan as she passed her.

Regina continued her search through Rumpelstiltskin's old remedies, slowly but surely finding her last missing ingredients. The light was fading outside, soon turning pitch black, and she was certain they'd have to make camp just outside of the castle before descending back to the village tomorrow. She couldn't wait to get back to the White Castle; it was the only place she felt mildly comfortable since returning to the Enchanted Forest. She stepped outside, holding onto her ingredients, safely tucked inside her satchel and smiled vaguely at Mulan.

"Let's find the others," Mulan murmured, and Regina followed her in the direction she assumed Merida had gone earlier. "You found everything you need to get Emma her memories back?" Mulan questioned her as she led them through a maze of castle hallways.

Regina clutched her bag again. "Yes. There's just enough for two potions. Now we just need the bean, I guess."

Mulan nodded. "I'm glad. Emma deserves her memories."

A loud yell soared through the castle at that and Mulan and Regina stared briefly at each other before they took off running in the direction of the sound. It was Neal's voice, that was for certain, and they ended in a big, dark room where Neal was suspended in the air by an invisible force, head hanging down, dangerously above a hole that seemed never-ending.

Merida was standing on the other side, bow and arrow raised, ready to shoot. Her eyes were wide, and she looked wild. "Should I fire?" she yelled at them, but the sound was muffled by whatever magic was between them.

"No!" Regina yelled back, and she raised her hands, testing Rumpelstiltskin's magic in front of her carefully; no matter what she did, her blows reverberated and peeled off, like rain on an umbrella. She groaned and met Neal's crazy eyes; he looked defeated as he hung there, once more bested by his dark father who was long gone. He pulled something out of his inner pocket at that, something small and black, a little wallet closed with a tie of string. She hoped he'd managed to find a bean, desperately, but she knew it was a long shot, and now he was waving the wallet at her, face contorted in pain, turning ashen. Regina realised at once that he was dying. His eyes turned wide, almost begging her, and she shot blast after blast of purple magic towards the empty space, but it reverberated off.

She was desperate. She was _not_ going to let Henry's father die, not on _her_ watch, no matter how much she loathed the man-child and the way he had treated Emma.

"Regina," Mulan cooly said, sword dispensed in the air in front of her, poking, prodding, trying. "Regina, he's falling!" she calmly continued and they watched as Neal fell further towards the black hole.

His eyes met Regina's in a panicked lock, and he made a last failed attempt to throw the wallet at her; arms frail, wallet untying in the air between them and as Regina dashed to grasp for it, an arrow flew through the air, swooshing as it blew through the magicked space, and it impaled the wallet to the ground behind them. Regina couldn't tare her eyes away from Neal as he fell down, disappearing in the hole beneath them.

She clutched the satchel, silence overcoming them, and as she raised her eyes, she saw Merida in front of her, bow still raised after her quick-witted shot. The hole closed the ground between them, and the redhead ran across the space, falling to her knees in front of Regina.

"You OK?" she breathed, her thick accent filling the otherwise silent room.

Regina gaped at her, not quite able to comprehend these turn of events. "What happened?"

Merida's eyes were wide as she spoke. "There was a bean, aye, but it was protected by magic. The second Neal moved to pick it up, he flew into the air. It just swallowed him up!" Her mouth fell open as she stared down at the ground beneath them; the ground now entirely flat and without a trace of the man it had just devoured.

Her throat was still constricting as she reached for the other woman's arm. "The bean!" she snapped, at once moving forward, going ahead, focusing on what was important; what she was sure Neal would want her to focus on at this point. "There was a bean!? Where is it?"

Merida moved her gaze to Mulan behind them. "The wallet!"

Mulan dropped to her knees by the speared wallet, pulling the arrow out and picking it up. Regina held her breath, watched the other woman's arms as they quickly moved. Mulan turned around and held the wallet upside-down. "It's empty," she breathed, face emotionless.

A hand came to rest on Regina's back. "But you got the ingredients, 'ey? You'll find another way back," Merida softly tried to comfort Regina.

Regina moved to stand on her legs, breathing and awkwardly brushing off her breeches. "Perhaps," she cooly said and turned to look at Mulan. "Let's just get out of here and find a place to make camp."

—-

Mary Margaret greeted them in the courtyard with a devastated look on her face; the absence of Neal immediately told her that they'd lost him on their quest. Regina patted her satchel, letting the other woman know that she'd obtained the needed ingredients, and they didn't talk about the loss of Neal or the lost bean. Instead, Regina went straight to her chambers to start on that memory potion, wanting to get it brewed as quickly as possible. She let Mulan and Merida explain everything to Mary Margaret – she'd have to finish these potions and send everyone back to Storybrooke again, to the Land Without Magic once they were done. There, Mary Margaret could make the trip to find Henry and Emma and New York and give them the potions. Then Emma would – hopefully, Regina wished – try her hardest to find a way back to Regina somehow. The most important thing was that Emma and Henry got their memories back. Now that she'd decided they should, she couldn't bare to have it another way. Even if, at first, letting Emma and Henry lead a peaceful life without magic and villains and storybooks had seemed like the right thing to do.

So the process started, and Regina oversaw everything, carefully calculating the measurements while she made alterations to the Dark Curse as well. She was often joined by Mulan in her chambers; the other woman sitting quietly on her stool, asking very few questions. The potions were coming along nicely, and a few months in, Mulan stirred the pot for Regina – counterclockwise for three hours, never let it settle – and the warrior turned to Regina with a soft smile marring her face.

"How are you going to get Emma and your son do drink this? It's very thick," she commented.

Regina barely looked up from the beetles she was crushing as she answered, "It'll thin out once the hairs are added."

Mulan wrinkled her nose. "Hairs?"

"Yes," Regina confirmed, glancing up at the other woman with a tired smile, "you're supposed to add in a piece of hair of the person who's going to drink it." She let her hand fall to her lap, sighing. "I suppose Snow will have to find a way to obtain the hairs first. I'm confident she'll figure it out."

Mulan was quiet for a short while. "What's it like?" she then murmured, eyes back on the pot in front of her.

Regina stood from the chair, coming to stop beside Mulan by the table. "What's what like?"

"The Land Without Magic." Mulan said, before clarifying, "Your Storybrooke."

She liked Mulan, she really did. The other woman was assertive and skilled, and she didn't talk much. Just like Regina, she appreciated the silence and only spoke when she had something important to say. She never ran her mouth, and every word across her lips had been contemplated at great lengths. "It's nice," Regina mused, not meeting Mulan's eyes, "We all have great houses. Fresh produce." She paused, looking at the swirling potion in the pot, "You know, you could come if you like."

Only a small flicker of Mulan's brow told her that the other woman was listening, eyes trained on her task.

Regina continued, "I'm sure Emma would give you a job at the Sheriff's station. She always did complain about needing a deputy."

The small smile on Mulan's face was her only reply.

And so the months passed as they worked, and finally Regina was handing two closed vials to Mary Margaret with careful instructions on how to use them. More than a year had passed since they said goodbye to Emma and Henry at the townline of their disappearing town, and Regina didn't dare think about how much she had missed. Her heart ached everyday, and although she had never said so to Mary Margaret, she was thankful that the other woman had stopped her from forgetting. No matter how much her chest pained, she would still rather have her memories of Henry and Emma with her. She'd let the desire to one day see them again fuel her forward through the months, and it was very uncertain if that would ever happen - but at least the possibility of that was bigger if Mary Margaret got to Storybrooke and somehow found them in New York.

The arrangements were made; the slightly altered Dark Curse was ready to be cast. The people who didn't want to go back to Storybrooke fled the area, the rest – including Mulan who was ready for a new adventure – gathered in the courtyard as Regina looked down at them from the highest tower of the White Castle.

She murmured the words, made her metaphoric sacrifice of staying behind, and the dark fog spiralled around the tiny people beneath her. Her dark eyes were trained on Mary Margaret, the other woman clutching the vials to her chest with one hand as she clutched her husband with the other, and Regina stared at her, feeling very little hope in the pit of her stomach, very little faith that she'd somehow get to see them all again.

But perhaps this was what she deserved, the once Evil Queen, who had never quite managed to redeem herself in the eye of the people; left alone to fend for herself in the broken White Kingdom, forever to be left in solitude with only her memories to keep her company.

She watched everyone disappear before her eyes, and as the smoke cleared, she walked through the castle, eyeing every nook, touching every armour, listening to the eerie silence. It was two weeks before she found the little leather wallet stuffed inside her riding boots, two weeks before she felt the desire to venture on a lonely ride through the woods. As she pulled her boot on, she felt her toe stub against something, and she pulled it up, heart beating madly in her throat as she realised what it was; the bound leather wallet from Rumpelstiltskin's castle, the string tied around it, and with the whole from Merida's arrow clumsily stitched together.

She pulled it open with shaking hands and froze as something small, almost shimmering and see-through fell into her lap.

A magic bean.

* * *

A/N: I hope you're still with me after absolutely no Emma in this chapter! I needed to write the missing year though, as I felt like a look into Regina's headspace would probably be a good thing! Next chapter will pick up in New York.

I do love hearing what you guys think, so please let me know! It's the absolute best. Thank you!


	3. Chapter Three: New York, New York

A/N: I want to thank you all for your kind reviews on the last chapter; as I feared, some of you weren't too keen on the fact that it held no Emma, but it was important in the grander scheme of things, as you'll also start to see in this chapter – where we're back to the present, Regina finding Emma in New York! Someone makes their first appearance in this chapter, and the person will be a part of the story, but fear not – it is Swanqueen all the way, I just thought it good to warn you.

* * *

 **CHAPTER THREE – NEW YORK, NEW YORK**

Regina stared up at the tall apartment building in front of her – so tall that she'd never seen anything quite like it, except towering castles back in the Enchanted Forest. She couldn't quite believe that she was there, and she felt the nervousness ruminate in the pit of her stomach. Lowering a hand to her flat belly, she took in a deep breath and double-checked the address that David had written down for her. No, she was definitely in the right place. Right there, inside that building, on floor number nine, lived Emma and Henry.

New York was a busy city; people kept bumping into her on her way there from her hotel room, and none of them barely apologised. In another life she would have had their heads, but in this life, this realm? She didn't even have her magic. The only magic she had with her right now was the two vials stored safely in her bag in the hotel room along with the enchanted map. She hadn't been foolish enough to believe that she'd be able to get Emma and Henry to drink anything today – they didn't _know_ her, and she knew Emma well enough to know that she'd never drink something from a stranger like that. Which made this project even more difficult.

Still, she couldn't wait any longer. She was _going to see them today._ She was going to go to their door, knock on it, and see Emma and Henry. What she was going to attempt to do after, she wasn't sure of, but she was pretty certain that she'd be able to find out. Mary Margaret had been so enthusiastic – heck, she'd almost wanted to come with Regina on this trip, and she would have, if it wasn't for the reestablished town she had to run – and she'd foolishly thought that Regina would be back with Henry and Emma in a few days and everything would be dandy.

Regina was quite certain that it wasn't going to be so easy.

She loitered around on the pavement in front of the closed-off building, hoping to sneak her way in there when someone left. She didn't want to press the buzzer – Emma probably wouldn't let her in when she didn't know her – but the written _E. Swan_ on the small buzzer did funny things to her stomach. E. Swan. Emma Swan. Henry would identify as Swan now as well. She didn't quite like it like she loved Henry Mills, but it did have a nice ring to it.

Finally, an older gentleman left the fenced off area, and Regina slipped inside before the gate snapped closed. She entered the building, heart beating steadily, hotly, in her throat, and pressed for the elevator as she tapped her foot.

She had a plan. She had a plan of what she was going to say – she was going to say that she was new in this building and that she was making the rounds to say hello to everyone. It was hardly a fool-proof plan, actually, it wasn't that great at all, but it was the best idea her and Mulan had been able to come up with as they plotted and planned everything in only two hours. Regina knew she should have probably planned everything more and taken her time, but when she'd finally arrived in Storybrooke, she hadn't been able to wait any longer. She just wanted to get to Emma and Henry _now._

When she had appeared in the middle of Main Street, Mulan had poked her head out of the Sheriff's car and offered her a cheeky grin. "Well, you certainly took your time," she'd said, and three hours later, Regina was on a night bus to New York.

Her phone buzzed as she rode the elevator up, and Regina opened a text from Mary Margaret. _Bring them back home to us!_ it said and then there was an absurd amount of yellow smiley faces. Regina replied with a single thumbs-up and got off the elevator on the ninth floor. She could do this.

Walking down the hallway to the right door, her fingers were itching, and she felt slightly queasy. This was probably the most nervous she had ever been, and that evidently said a lot. _This_ was the place that Henry and Emma had called home for the last 15 months; this was the place her magic had created for them, and thankfully she was quite pleased with what she saw. At least it appeared that they'd had a nice place to live.

There it was. _E. Swan_ was written on the door as well, and she raised her closed fist and knocked, surely, steadily, on the door in front of her. She held her breath. Who was going to open the door? It was probably going to be Emma, because she'd _never_ let Henry open the door when they hadn't buzzed anyone in, Regina was sure of it. God, what time was it even? Perhaps they weren't up yet? This was a foolish time to come at, she should probably return later, find a proper way to make contact instead of just showing up and- the door swung open in front of her, and her eyes landed on Emma's face.

For the first time in 15 months, her eyes saw Emma's face right in front of her, and she was reminded painfully of the last time she'd seen this woman. She remembered the feel of Emma's lips against her own as if it had been only yesterday, and she remembered the way Emma's hands had cupped her face, the way they had rested their foreheads together in the upstairs bedroom in the loft. Regina remembered everything. _Vividly._ And it flooded her, overpowered her senses and threatened to make her do something completely foolish like reach a hand out, pull Emma's face to hers and kiss her.

"Em-ma," she breathed, and she couldn't quite hide the way her voice was flooded with relief. God, this woman was beautiful. She looked tired, her green eyes filled with confusion, and her hair messily on top of her head, but she was beautiful, so, so beautiful, Regina had almost forgotten exactly how much she enjoyed looking at Emma's cheekbones and those upturned lips.

Emma shifted awkwardly on her feet. "Yeah?" was the only thing out of her mouth, and _of course_ she'd be confused, a stranger – at least in her eyes – stood in front of her door and said her name with such familiarity, and what had Regina been thinking?

Her eyes were drawn to something else at that – something that she couldn't quite believe she'd missed, but she _had_ been focused on Emma up until this point – and… there was a baby on Emma's hip. Regina felt her eyes go wide as she took a slight step back, eyes trained on the baby clutched onto Emma. A baby. A _baby_? Why was Emma holding a baby. There were many possible explanations, but only one seemed to make sense in Regina's eyes when she looked at the way Emma protectively tucked the baby to her body, the way the small child seemed so at ease resting on her hip. And oh, she'd recognise that nose _everywhere._ That was Henry's nose, Henry's _baby nose._ "No," she murmured, and before she had time to contemplate what was truly the right action at this point, she turned on her heel and fled down the hallway towards the elevator.

 _Emma had a baby._ Oh God, it soared through Regina's body, swivelled inside her brain and made her lose her breath. A baby. Emma had had a child. In the past 15 months while Regina had struggled with depression and heartache, Emma had had the time to meet a man, fall in love, and birth a child. She felt so stupid, so unbelievably foolish that she had come here, thinking that she could get them back, that they might still have a chance at something, only to see that Emma had clearly moved on.

 _But you're not being fair to her,_ a snarky voice inside of her head reminded her as she rode the elevator down and slipped into the New York sunlight. She knew she wasn't, because she'd erased herself from Emma's mind completely, and of course the other woman would want to date and have a family when there wasn't villains, parents her own age, fairytales and magic to worry about. In Emma's mind, she'd probably been single for years before settling down with another person.

Even knowing that, it still hurt. It still hurt to think that Emma had been with someone else, cared enough for the person to make a child, while Regina had been making potions and trying to keep on breathing. How was she going to move forward with her plan? If Emma and Henry were truly happy, would it really be right to give them that potion and make them remember everything they'd finally escaped?

She dialled Mary Margaret's number when she entered her hotel room, sitting down on the edge of her bed and biting her lip impatiently. She was a wreck, worried what this might mean in regards to the future they'd planned – a future where Henry and Emma returned to Storybrooke to be with them. Did that mean that this baby and its father were going to join them as well? Regina wasn't sure she'd be able to happily watch as Emma lived with a new family so close to her. Then she'd rather have stayed behind in the Enchanted Forest. Having Emma nearby and not having her was going to be too painful to live with; the months in the Enchanted Forest had been easier in that aspect. Emma hadn't been there, so she'd just had to find a way to deal.

Finally, Mary Margaret picked up the phone on her end, voice eager and enthusiastic, "Did you do it? Did they drink it?"

Regina squeezed her eyes together and told herself to not snap at the other woman. Truthfully, she wanted to fireball her, but Snow White was nothing if not an optimist, and of course she'd be under the impression that it was going to be _that_ easy. Regina sighed heavily. "Emma has a _kid,_ Snow," was the first words across her lips, because it was really the only thing she could keep on picturing inside of her mind; that dark-haired cuteness of a baby nestled on Emma's hip.

Mary Margaret was silent for a second, all Regina could hear was the background noise of Main Street and Mary Margaret's sensible flats clacking against the pavement as she walked. "Well… yeah," she finally breathed, voice uncertain, "I know that. Your _son._ Henry. The son that you share." She paused again, and Regina wanted to reach through the phone and slap some sense into her, "Are you alright there, Regina?"

" _Another kid, Snow,_ " Regina bit back, rubbing the heel of her hand against her face, tired and unbothered by the possibility of ruined make-up. "As in a baby. She opened her door for me, and there was a baby on her arm."

Breaths coming out short, Mary Margaret said, "But you saw her? Did you see Henry?"

Regina groaned, "Mary Margaret, are you not understanding what I'm telling you? _She has a kid."_ The words were so painful as they slipped across her lips; they cut deep, like knives inside of her chest, and she felt foolish for even believing – for just one faithful night in the hot, Neverland air – that she and Emma could have that together; another kid, a family, a life in Storybrooke. Villains didn't get happy endings, not now, not ever. She scoffed.

Mary Margaret continued, "Are you sure it's not someone else's kid? Maybe this curse has her working as a nanny or something." She breathed heavily and continued, unfazed, "But you saw her, right? Did she seem OK? She wasn't too skinny, was she? Did she recognise you?"

"No to all of that, Mary Margaret," Regina tiredly replied, and she told herself to stay calm and give the other woman some leeway – she was happy to hear about her child for the first time in 15 months, just like Regina herself would have been had it been Henry. Mary Margaret just made it so hard to care for her sometimes. "Can we please go back to the kid thing again?" She bit her lip and continued on, "I'm quite certain it was her kid, it had Henry's nose."

"Hold on," Mary Margaret said, and Regina heard a door open and close on the other end. "I'm at the station right now, bringing pancakes from Granny's to David and Mulan, we should discuss this with them. Hang on." She fidgeted with something on the other end, and Regina could hear muffled voices as she tried her best to wait without losing her mind. The only picture inside of her head was that of a beautiful black-haired baby, and it was so overwhelming that she could hardly think of Emma or the fact that she hadn't even seen Henry yet. That baby though, there was just something oddly familiar about it, something more than just Henry's nose.

David's voice finally came though the phone, "Regina?"

She breathed out a sigh of relief. She'd hoped for Mulan other than the other half of the Two Idiots, but David would have to do. "Yes?"

"What's this about a kid?"

And so Regina retold everything, mentioning all the small details, however insignificant they appeared. It didn't take a very long time, after all she was only in front of Emma for all of two minutes, but David listened carefully, and she could hear Mulan murmur in agreement while she talked. "So it does appear that Emma – regardless of what she and I might have shared before leaving Storybrooke – moved on quite quickly," Regina finished, that lump tightening awfully in her throat.

Mulan carefully pitched in, "How old did the baby seem again?"

Regina thought about it for a second or two. "I'm really not sure. I'm not that good with ages, I haven't been around many babies. Maybe four months?"

"Hm," Mulan murmured, just as David said, "We shouldn't let this discovery deter us though, right? Emma and Henry still need to come back home to us. Where they belong."

"Yes," Mary Margaret added, "and if this baby is truly Emma's, then it's my grandchild, so it needs to come back here."

Mulan's soft voice reached Regina through the phone, "I know it's not what you wanted, but you should still do our plan. You can't really blame Emma for anything, not when she thinks she's been alone for such a long time, right? If she found love, it's because your magic allowed her to do that."

David hummed in agreement, "Yes, it's really a testament to your magic."

Rolling her eyes, Regina knew they were just trying to help her accept these turn of events, and she also knew that they were right – she had come this far, she shouldn't turn back now. The people in Storybrooke deserved to have Henry and Emma back, and more importantly; Henry and Emma deserved to live their true, uncursed lives with their real memories. Anything else wasn't fair, even if they had consented to this as Regina offered it to them. She also had to believe that they'd want their real lives back if ever given the option.

"You should try making contact again," Mulan said next. "Go ahead, try and befriend them so they can drink the potion."

She pushed her hair back and stared out of the small, dirty hotel room window, straight into the alley outside. "I fear I may have ruined it. Emma knows my face now, so whatever cover I come up with will seem strange at this point."

" _Try,_ " Mary Margaret eagerly urged her on.

Regina nodded to herself; she knew she couldn't give up now, not even with the prospect of a baby and what troubles it might bring her on her quest. The important thing was to get Emma and Henry to remember, to bring them back to Storybrooke. They'd be able to figure out the rest of it afterwards, together, hopefully. But even if luck wouldn't shine on her that way, she'd still have her son, and although that would be painful, Henry was – and always had been – her true happy ending. Her little prince. "Okay, I'll use the map and figure out where they are if they're not at home," she promised them.

Mary Margaret softly said, "It's going to be okay, Regina, I'm sure…" she trailed off, and Regina held her breath, waited for the last of that sentence, "I'm sure it'll all work out as it's supposed to."

 _I wish I had your stupid, incredulous faith, Snow White,_ Regina mused to herself. "It might," was her reply and she fell to the floor next to her suitcase – the suitcase she hadn't had half a mind to start unpacking when she first arrived, too eager to get to Emma and Henry quickly – before unzipping it with her free hand.

"It will," Mary Margaret said, and she sounded so certain of things that Regina really wanted to believe her.

She reached into her suitcase and found the folded down map and the picture of Emma and Henry that she'd tucked in there as well. "I'm going to go now, and give this another try," she told them on the other end of the phone, and Mary Margaret squealed in excitement, "I'll get back to you later."

"Good luck!" David managed to encourage her, before Regina hung up the phone and unfolded the map on the floor beside her.

Letting the picture rest on the middle of the folded paper, she murmured, "New York, New York," and watched as the picture danced across the different parts of the busy city. She was going to find them today, come hell or high water, and… Regina smiled as the picture settled on a green area, hovering slightly on its end. _Central Park_ , the map read.

 _I'm coming for you._

—-

Henry strolled happily in front of her, hands tucked into his pocket, and red and grey scarf blowing slightly in the wind. The sun was beaming down on them, and she was happy to be out, ready to enjoy some of the last days of sunshine before fall hit and everything turned colourful and windy. Alba was gurgling happily in her stroller, tucked into layers of clothing and with her lime green pacifier, and Emma breathed in the air, appreciating another day. It had started out pretty confusing, but it was turning out to be a wonderful Saturday.

Try as she might, she just really couldn't shake off that weird encounter at her door this morning. It was entirely strange, because weird things happened every hour in New York, but there was something so hauntingly familiar about that woman who had been in front of her, saying her name with such feeling, that Emma couldn't quite shake it off. It didn't help that the woman had been incredibly nice to look at either, which was a new thing for Emma – she couldn't remember the last time she'd looked at someone, man or woman, and thought that she was attracted to them. It was probably way before Alba, and even then her memory of it was always fuzzy; she was quite certain she had dated, but never anything serious. She'd been too focused on making a life for her and Henry probably, wanting to do right by him.

But this woman… those brown eyes. Even if it had been odd, Emma couldn't help but want to see her again. And it was strange because the woman appeared to know _Emma,_ as if she'd been looking for her, yet Emma had never seen her before in her life. She thought… Or had she? It was strange, because she _was_ familiar, but she was also pretty sure she'd remember ever meeting or knowing a woman such as her.

Henry's excited voice broke her out of her train of thoughts, "Oh, I see her! Over on the bench there," he pointed with one hand and shielded his eyes from the sun with the other.

Emma squinted her eyes in the direction he was pointing and saw a figure sitting on the bench, take-away cups at hand and beanie tucked all the way down, over her long, brunette hair. The _only_ other person in the world – besides her children – whom she loved _._ After all these years of being alone and fending for herself, she couldn't quite believe that she actually had someone now, and on such a chance encounter at that. "Go ahead, Kid, we'll catch up," she told Henry, and the young teenager took off in a slow skip to greet the other woman.

She followed after, angling the stroller and moving towards the park bench, and when she arrived, Henry was already busy talking about his latest assignment and the comic books she'd promised him if he helped clean the kitchen, and he was already clutching onto a cardboard cup that undoubtedly contained hot chocolate with cinnamon.

"Swannie!"

Emma laughed and accepted the cup thrusted into her hand. "Lily," she smiled and leaned over to give the other woman a long hug and a kiss to the cheek, "Nice of you to join us."

Lily smiled brightly, "Well you know, not working today, so what's better than my three favourite people?" She bent over the stroller and pressed a long kiss to Alba's forehead, "And my little girl," she breathed, tickling the baby's cheek.

Henry slurped his hot chocolate, "You should come back for dinner with Ma, Lily, since I won't be home tonight."

Emma took a sip of her cup – hot chocolate as well, thank you Lily – and nudged Henry with her shoulder. "Calm down Kid, you don't need to make playdates for me."

"I don't mind," Lily grinned, and her eyes shone so beautifully that Emma had no troubles believing her. "Wanna walk around?" She grabbed hold of the stroller, balancing her own cup of coffee there as well, and they took off walking down the gravel path.

Emma fell into her own thoughts while Lily questioned Henry about everything, while teasing him mercilessly about whether or not he had a crush on this Troy guy from school because he 'sure as fuck' talked about him like he did, and Henry blushed and told her 'no way', and they laughed and Emma let herself wander along, glad for the time she was able to spend like this; when she didn't have to be the single parent, when she could lose a smidge of the responsibility and put it upon Lily's shoulders – Lily, who willingly came back into her life even after everything that had happened between them when they were young.

It didn't take long though, before Emma's senses told her that something was off; perhaps it was her stint in prison, perhaps it was all the years working on tracking people and being the one to spy and follow at a distance, but she was pretty sure that she was being watched. She didn't say anything; she carefully glanced around, tried to let her eyes waver through the throng of people in Central Park, and at once she saw her – the beautiful woman from outside her apartment door – sitting on a bench, half-shielded by a three, following their every movement around. Their eyes locked, and Emma saw a flicker of something on the other woman's face.

She wasn't sure why, but – she wanted to go to her. She turned to Henry and thrust her half-empty cup into his hands. "You stay with Lily and Alba, OK? I think I see someone I know, it'll just be a minute."

Both Henry and Lily looked at her in confusion, but they accepted the order nonetheless, and Emma pressed a kiss to Lily's worried cheek, before crossing the grass in her tightly laced Dr. Martens. She'd half expected the other woman to try to get away now what Emma had seen her, and she was actually surprised when she stayed seated on the bench, legs crossed daintily and looking super beautiful in her black peacoat. What the heck did this woman want? Emma felt excitement, nerves, perhaps a little bit of anger, because she was always on guard, ruminate in her stomach, and she stopped in front of the brunette and stared down at her, hands on hips.

"What, are you following me now or something?"

A flicker of amusement appeared on the other woman's face. "No, Emma, look-"

But Emma cut her off, "I don't know, lady, it seems like you know me, you sure as hell look at me like you do, but I can't place you, okay?" She frowned, forehead creasing as she studied the other woman more carefully – the way her eyes shimmered, the scar across her upper lip that Emma suddenly had a deep desire to run her tongue over – and relaxed her stance a little bit. "Do I know you from somewhere or something?"

"Sit," the other woman said and patted the bench next to her.

Emma obliged, not even sure why she did. Something in the other woman's voice just demanded orders to be followed, so she did so willingly. "Look, my family's over there, so you gotta make this quick, OK?" She motioned towards where Lily and Henry had taken a seat on the grass and were letting Alba – who was now awake and ready to have fun – move around on her tummy between them.

The other woman's face fell slightly as her eyes settled on the picture of the three other people and Emma swore her lips turned downwards as a huff of air left her mouth. "Yes, I see," she replied, and Emma could practically see the moment a wall appeared between them, the other woman upping her defences, shutting her out.

The blonde frowned. She was having a really fucking difficult time pecking this other woman, and it frustrated her – especially because she was drawn to her in a way she was pretty sure she'd never been to anyone before. "Look, I'm sorry if I know you and I just don't remember. Why don't you try telling me your name instead?"

"It's Regina," the woman – Regina – said, and Emma immediately thought that it suited her perfectly. She reached into her pocket and produced two small glass vials, something Emma had only seen the few times she'd actually made it to Chemistry in high school, and held them out for Emma to see. The liquid inside of them was thick, nasty-looking, and Emma gulped. "I know you don't remember knowing me," Regina throatily continued, and her brown eyes locked so deeply onto Emma's that the blonde couldn't tare her eyes away, "it's why I'm here. I want you to drink this – you and Henry both."

Emma's body immediately felt alarmed at the mentioning of her son's name; her eyes turned wide, and her jaw tightened, and she was pretty sure Regina could tell. "Look woman," she said and backed slightly away from her on the bench, "if you think I'm going to drink something a random stranger tells me to- let alone get my _kid_ to drink it-" she cut herself off, shaking her head, "then you're truly on something."

Regina groaned, frustration seeping out of her. "I'm not _on something_ ," she angrily retorted and shook the vials in the front her, "I'm telling you, you need to drink this and then you'll remember. You just need to take a lock of your hair and put it in here and then drink it. Henry needs a lock of his hair in the one for him."

"You're insane," Emma murmured as she stood up from the bench and took a step away. She might have been intrigued by this beautiful woman in front of her, but it was beginning to be very clear to her that she was not to be trusted. Something was very wrong with this woman, and it pained Emma because she had felt such a connection with her – no matter how brief their interaction had been – and now she was acting this way. The blonde took another step backwards. "I'm sorry, lady, but don't come near me and my family again, you hear me?"

"Emma, please just listen to me-!" Regina reached a hand out, as if wanting to grab her, tug her, or perhaps throw something at her, but nothing happened and Emma turned around on her heel and quickly crossed the grass again, ready to get back to her family and her now probably lukewarm chocolate.

She fell to the grass next to Lily, who was engrossed in her phone, and Henry was laying on his back with Alba on top of him; she gurgled happily and squealed loudly when he lifted her into the air for a few seconds at a time and made a funny sound. Emma's heart warmed at the beautiful sight, and she leaned her head against Lily's shoulder, somehow feeling very drained after that small encounter.

"Who was that?" Lily murmured against her hair, an arm coming up to wrap around Emma's shoulders as she dropped her phone back into her pocket.

Emma hummed. "No one. Just someone I thought I …" she trailed off, looking for the right word, " _knew,"_ she finished, and she felt the loss of Regina deeply inside of her, even if she'd never really had her. Her eyes swept automatically to the bench she'd just been sitting at, but unsurprisingly it was empty now.

Lily nodded her head softly. "You OK?"

"Yeah," Emma agreed, tilting her head backwards to stare up at her, "if you'll come for dinner anyway?"

Chuckling, Lily said, "I was planning on it, Swannie."

—

"She has a _girlfriend,_ Mulan," Regina breathed into the phone, as soon as she entered the hotel room later that day; spent and tired and absolutely heartbroken. The image of that brunette woman, sitting so cosily with Emma, strolling through the park with _their_ child, and then how she'd been such a natural with Henry… it pained Regina's heart in ways she'd never experienced before. And she who thought she'd felt her life's worst pain when she said goodbye to them at the townline. Oh, how wrong she had been.

Mulan – still not feeling quite certain with the modern contraptions as she liked to call them – fumbled with the department issued cell phone on the other end. "Are you – are you sure?" Her voice was light, but she sounded confused, absolutely baffled at the suggestion that Emma would have found a girlfriend. "Are… girlfriends normal? In your land? Like… two women or two men together?"

Regina sat down on the chair by the small table and cradled her head in her hands. "Yes, it's normal. It's not accepted everywhere, but it's very normal," she replied, and if she hadn't felt so queasy she might have dwelled further on the importance of Mulan's questions, "But what do I do? She has a girlfriend."

"We still follow-through," Mulan quickly said, as if anything else was not an option at all. "Even if she has a girlfriend, she deserves the truth and so does Henry. Then they can make decisions as a … couple … afterwards."

The word 'couple' tasted like something sour in Regina's mouth. "But I fear I may have ruined it now. I suggested they drink the potions and Emma called me insane." Perhaps it hadn't really been the proper way to go about this, perhaps she should have thought things more through to make a connection with Emma before proposing her beverages, but she'd been so desperate to have them back, both of them.

Mulan was quiet for a few seconds as she thought it over. "Yes, you probably should have gotten to know her a little better first."

Regina leaned back in her chair, kicked her heels off and wished that she could take it back so that she could get another try at this. She should have planned better, she really should have. "But what can I do now? She'll think of me as certifiable from now on."

She tried to forget the picture of Emma cosying up with that brunette, and instead thought of Henry – whom she had only seen at a distance, but he'd been _right there_ – and the way he'd been so wonderful with what was his younger sibling. He even still had the scarf she had gifted him when he started school, and it had warmed her heart, thinking that he still had a part of her, even if – in his memories – Emma had been the one to gift it to him on his first day of school. She let her mind fill with thoughts of Henry, of ideas on how to fix this so she'd, at last, get her son back. Because she had to get him back, there was no other option. Henry was _her son too_ , and she wasn't going to let Emma have him for herself when she was this close to getting him, too.

Mulan's voice was gleeful when she answered – so far from what Regina had expected considering the conversation they were having, "I might have slipped something in your suitcase that can help you start over-"

Regina cut her off; slipping across the floor she dug into the suitcase with one hand, while clutching onto her phone with the other. "What did you-?" She threw a pair of boots onto the floor and saw that something was tucked into one of them; a very familiar vial in a very familiar position. " _My potion_."

"Thought it might come in handy," Mulan laughed, and Regina clutched the vial to her chest, thinking that a second shot at this meeting might be exactly what she needed. If she managed to get Emma to drink this forgetting potion, she could meet her again for the first time, get to know her, connect with her and then… then she could make her drink the potion, girlfriend and baby be damned.

She had to get them to come back to Storybrooke, no matter what their current life had offered them, and that was the only way.

* * *

A/N: So as I said – fear not, there's no romantic Emma/Lily storyline in this fic, they're simply just reconnected friends (but more on that in a later chapter, as Emma's year in New York is revealed); but the kicker is – Regina doesn't know that, so we can all see how this looks, right? Anyway! I love hearing your thoughts, it's fanfic fuel, so do please let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter Four: The Pregnancy

A/N: This chapter is set in the past – Emma's year in New York – and features her meeting Lily again. Once more I'd like to remind you that no matter how it looks, it's not a Lily/Emma romance-thing – Emma is really not looking for that at any point. Thank you! This being the year in New York means no Regina, although it safe to say that Emma's surely missing something – she just can't figure out what.

* * *

 **CHAPTER FOUR – THE PREGNANCY**

Emma stared down at the test in her hand, eyes focused on the two blue lines so clearly visible on the small, white field. _Pregnant._ She was pregnant. Elation filled her immediately at the thought of that; another child. She'd be able to finally give Henry that baby brother or sister that he'd always wanted, that she'd always wanted to give him.

They were finally in such a good place in their life; a wonderful apartment, a steady job, Henry did well in school and had good friends. This was the perfect time to have a kid, which was why her body wasn't filled with a sense of dread like it had been the last time she'd stared down at a positive pregnancy test.

She should probably call the clinic… probably? And tell them that the insemination had gone over perfectly. She just wasn't sure where she'd put their card, and she never did get around to saving their number in her phone. She couldn't really remember the address of the clinic either, New York was such a huge city and there were many clinics around. What was the name of it again? Perhaps she should just call her own doctor.

Emma clutched the stick in her hand and decided to worry about that later. She swore she could already feel the presence of a little baby in her belly, and she placed her palm on her flat stomach and breathed in. _A kid._ Sure, she'd dreamt for a long time that the second time around – the second time with pregnancy tests, cravings, preparations – she'd have someone by her side so she wouldn't have to go through it alone. And she did feel a sense of loss, that perhaps someone should be right next to her as she discovered these news, but it could only be because that was the way the stories always told these tales.

Nope. She was Emma Swan, and she had her son – a wonderful, generous, intelligent son – who was going to be the best big brother any kid could ever dream of.

She knocked on Henry's bedroom door and slipped inside before he had time to answer. He had his head buried in a math book, and she felt the urge to grasp his still chubby cheeks and kiss them all over.

"Ma?" Henry glanced up from his book, "What's up?"

Emma dropped the stick in front of him, straight in the middle of his book, and took a seat on the edge of the bed, not able to hide her excitement. "You're gonna be a big brother," she announced, and she could feel herself glow with happiness, her cheeks round, straining at the seems from grinning so much.

Henry's eyes dropped to the stick in front of him, and he immediately picked it up, eyes settled on the two lines. "Are you for real!?" He looked back up at her, eyes round with excitement, and she nodded her head eagerly, "Ma!" He pushed his chair back and leaped to her, enveloping her in a hug that sent them flying backwards onto the mattress, a tangle of blonde hair, legs and arms.

Emma pressed kisses to his face, peppering his skin in chapstick and chuckled against his excited squeals. "You're gonna be the best big brother in the world, aren't you, Kid?" She mused aloud and stroked his hair back, a fondness soaring through her as she stared at her kid. Her _first_ kid. He'd always be 'kid' no matter how many more kids she had.

Jutting out his chin, Henry pulled back and sat up, puffing out his chest. "Duh Ma," he stared down at the stick again, his cheeks red with happiness, "I'm gonna help you with everything. This is gonna be so awesome."

That was the way it had always been with the two of them, Emma mused, as she lovingly stared at her soon-to-be teenage son. A team – more of a team than anything – but it worked, and she was pretty sure it was going to continue to work with the new child as well. Perhaps it was because Emma had been so young when she had had Henry, perhaps it was because the first years had been tough with them living in homes as she tried to get a life going for them – but just look _how far_ they'd come. As a team. She'd, more than once, thanked the heavens for the fact that her child was such an easy kid, eager to please, obedient and almost never any trouble.

She pushed his hair back again, one hand on him, and the other on top of her stomach. "It's gonna be amazing, Kid, it'll really make our family more complete, don't you think?" Emma mused aloud, and Henry hummed in reply, eyes still stuck on the stick. "Also," she added with a cheeky grin, "I peed on that."

"Ew," Henry's reaction was instant as he dropped the stick to the bedding and furiously wiped his hands in his jeans. He didn't look too mad though, when he smiled at her, and his freckles dotted his nose and cheekbones, and she _loved_ him so very much. "Are we going to turn your office into the nursery?"

Emma nodded her head – the home office was perfect for that, because it had a door to her bedroom – and she could just take a corner out of the living room to store her work-things. She more often than not ended up doing work by the kitchen table while Henry sat there doing his homework and their had their hot chocolates with cinnamon. "I thought so – we don't wanna move again, we just got settled here."

Henry stared around his bedroom; filled with books and drawings and a lot of his old toys that he was getting too big for. "I like it here," he said, and he was diving for his iPad before she had any time to question what he was up to, "I'm gonna research baby things!"

Pressing a kiss to his head, Emma settled herself against the headboard on his bed, and he snuggled closer, turning on his iPad and typing in search words, and they spent the rest of the morning like that, snuggled together – mother and son – while looking at all the things she needed to buy before the baby arrived. Emma couldn't help but feel like there was something missing though – another presence on the other side of Henry, snuggled into him and scoffing indignantly at some of their more silly and questionable ideas – and it wasn't just _any_ presence she needed, it was a very specific hole inside of her that she couldn't quite put her finger on, and it felt weird. Weird in a way that she couldn't quite explain.

It happened often like that afterwards; she'd be cooking dinner for her and Henry, and all of sudden she'd fuck it up, like she always did, and she'd turn on her heel as if to ask someone for help – who, she had no idea – before reluctantly realising that there was no one else to turn to. She wondered often – was it just loneliness, the need to share her life with someone? Or was it it an _urge_ for someone specific, someone she couldn't put a name on?

Sometimes she'd wake up in bed and turn over – almost as if someone was supposed to lay there beside her – before realising that she only had her covers to snuggle with. She thought she noticed it in Henry too; he'd sometimes ask for help on his math homework although they both knew that she'd never been able to help him with that past the second grade. Or he'd request dinner foods like lasagna or fajitas - which caused him to pause and confusingly say _I have no idea where that came from_ – and at one point he told her that they should feed the new baby arroz con leche once it was able to eat solid food, just like he'd had when he was a kid – only for Emma to agree happily before she realised that she _had no idea_ how to make arroz con leche.

She was pretty sure she was suffering from pregnancy brain already, but that did not – however – explain why Henry was sometimes acting so odd.

But the preparations did begin; Henry eagerly took to painting the nursery, and Emma never did find the clinic where she had been inseminated, but her doctor willingly did all the tests for her. She was deemed a little further along than she had initially thought she would be considering everything, but her sense of time had been a little fussy lately, and her period unregular, so she took it for what it was. Four months along just meant shorter time before the baby was there, which also meant that she had to get a move on with preparations.

Which was why she was now doing the huge baby-shopping spree that she had been putting off – Henry was at Troy's, which was a place he'd been spending a lot of time lately, Emma mused – so she had spare time to spend as long as needed in the huge baby store not so far from their apartment. She'd been putting it off for a month, and she was really starting to show, and there were still so many things to be done. Henry promised to help assemble everything ("Troy is _so good_ at building Legos, I bet he can help me!"), so all she really had to do was make sure to get it delivered.

Walking around the store, Emma had a list in her hand – printed out from the internet with additions made in Henry's neat cursive – and she was randomly stuffing things into her cart, already feeling helpless and a little frustrated because she couldn't really wrap her head around it all. _There's just so many things,_ she moaned to herself as she found a beautiful mobile with horses and felt the need to put that into her cart. For some obscure reason, even though she never particularly liked horses. Maybe the kid would.

She groaned loudly and leaned herself against a shelf. She hated shopping, even when it was for her kid.

"Can I help you?"

Turning around on the spot, Emma came face to face with a smiling store employee, whose long brown hair was swept back in a ponytail and her hands tucked neatly behind her back as she watched Emma with true concern. Emma let her eyes fall to the name tag on the woman's t-shirt. _Lilith,_ it said.

"Yes!" Emma moaned, gladly pushing herself off the shelf and letting a hand fall to her belly, "I have a list of things I need, and God, I _hate_ shopping, and my back is killing me, so…" she trailed off, staring helplessly at the other girl who looked to be right about her own age, although a little more worn down by life.

Lilith smiled warmly at her and reached for the list that Emma was waving wildly around. "Say no more," she smiled and scanned the list in front of her, "I can help you find all of these things. Will your partner be joining us?" Her brown eyes swept across Emma's face at that, and there was a sideways smile edged on her lips.

Emma dropped her shoulders. "Nope, it's just me."

"If you follow me, I'll make note of everything you need and get an order ready for you." She waved Emma with her as they walked towards the bigger items – the most important things that Emma did need to get delivered, "What colour are you looking at?"

Emma glanced around, shrugging slightly. "My other kid's painting the room yellow. Something neutral, I guess?"

Lilith laughed. "Wise choice! We have a lot of parents set on gender stereotypes though, so I always have to ask."

"I don't care much for the gender. I'll see when it pops out," Emma replied, and they continued to pick out everything as Lilith made notes on her tablet, filling in Emma's orders. It surprised Emma how easy it was to talk to this woman about everything; it was always a surprise to her when she connected with someone who wasn't Henry, because it was such a strange feeling, something that rarely happened. Lilith laughed at her stupid jokes and it felt surprisingly familiar, like maybe they had done this in another life or something.

Finally, they stood by the counter, Lilith ringing everything in the cart up for her as well as all the things she had ordered, and the employee held out the tablet for Emma with a smile. "I just need you to fill out all of these details and put your digital signature at the bottom and the things should be with you in three to five days."

Emma reached forward to grab the tablet but paused when she saw the oddly shaped birthmark on the other woman's wrist. Was that… _a star_? She felt her eyes turn wide as she looked up at the woman in front of her, who smiled cheerfully, the good employee, and Emma paused, finger on the tablet and heart thudding madly in her chest. This was _such_ a huge coincidence that she could hardly believe that it was actually happening, but the name and those brown eyes and then that – that familiar mark – it had to be. She ran an unconscious finger across the spot on her own wrist where Lily had, once upon a time, drawn her own star and they'd promised to be best friends forever. It seemed like such a long time ago, and Emma had been so pissed when they'd last seen each other, and _was this really Lily_?

"Lily," she breathed, and her eyes met the other woman's, "Lily Page."

She looked instantly alarmed, withdrawing her hand and taking the tablet with her. "Yeah…" she slowly breathed, eyes roaming across Emma's face as she studied her, "do I know you?"

"I'm Emma," Emma breathed, the words ghosting across her lips before she had time to contemplate whether or not this was a can of worms that she wanted to open. She could also very well leave this store and not mention anything, but something inside of her made her want to reach out. Perhaps it was that hole that she wasn't quite sure how she was going to fill. "Emma Swan, and you…" she paused as faint recognition instantly swept over Lily's face, "you once drew a star just like that on my wrist in black marker," she finished as she reached out, fingers locking around Lily's wrist.

Lily's eyes were stuck on where their skin touched, and there was a long silence between them, only accompanied by the hustle and bustle of the rest of the store; of parents buying items, children crying and store employees pitching sales. Emma saw Lily's breath hitch visibly in her throat as the other woman finally looked up and locked their gazes. "Emma," she said, "It's really you."

Emma breathed out a short chuckle, dropped her hands to her sides and made a _can you believe it?_ notion with her shoulders. "Hell yeah it's me. Fuck, Lily…" she trailed off, a smile tugging at her lips regardless of how they ended things, "how are you?"

Pointing towards her name tag, Lily said, "Well, as you can see, better than I have been. I've been trying to get my life under control. It's still shitty on most days, but yeah…" she trailed off, tongue darting out to wet her lips. "And you're doing good, I see?"

"Single mom," Emma proudly said as her hand came to rest upon her belly again, fingers fondly rubbing in a circular motion. "I have a another kid. Henry. He's twelve." She reached forward to grab the tablet again, to fill in the rest of her information. "I can't believe it's been so long," she said as she clumsily signed her name with her fingers against the touch screen.

Lily retrieved the tablet, and as her eyes scanned over the information, she said. "Yeah it's … it's been a really long time," she agreed. "This looks good by the way. Are you ready to pay?"

Retrieving her card from her wallet, Emma nodded and handed it to her. "Listen, this may sound odd, but… do you maybe wanna get a coffee with me some day? Catch up?"

The smile on Lily's face told her everything, and thus Emma begun to rekindle her friendship with Lily. They didn't talk a lot about the past and what had transpired between them – they didn't need to relive all of those things as it was painful for them both – but Emma talked about her stint in prison, and Lily talked about trying to straighten herself out even though it always went wrong, no matter how much her adoptive parents tried to help. Emma thought a lot about the nights they'd spent squatting in that summer house, she thought of evenings curled up next to Lily for extra warmth, and her first kiss shared with the other girl in a haze of cheap, stolen beer and Hershey kisses. They didn't mention those things, they didn't need to, because no matter how wonderful it was to see Lily again, Emma had no desire to start something up with someone, let alone the woman responsible for her first heartbreak.

The months flew by quickly, and soon Emma was heavily pregnant. Henry stayed true to his words and acted as the perfect son and soon-to-be big brother. He and Troy assembled everything, and they painted the nursery a faded yellow, and Emma repaid them in pizzas and root beer, and it was all very, very wonderful. She could feel herself nestling, preparing for another addition to the family, and even though Lily hung around often now – for dinners and movie-nights and trips to the doctor – it still felt like there was something missing in her life.

At night when she fell into her bed, tired and sore and too heavy to move, she felt herself reach to the empty side of the bed, feeling like there was something missing there – that someone was supposed to lay beside her and hug her close. More often than not, she found herself taking pictures of everything related to the baby; of the set-up nursery, of a sonogram picture, of all the baby clothes folded and neatly stacked, and she typed in a number on her phone, almost on instinct, like muscle memory, getting ready to send it away, until she realised that there was no one to send it to, and that she had no idea whose number she was even typing. One time she actually got as far as to sending a picture of the horse mobile above the crib, and the only response she got was the message that the number was no longer in service.

She was _missing_ something, she just had no idea what it was. And it was odd, because she'd never felt that way before, at least not in any way that she could recall. She tried focusing on the last preparations, of birthing classes and spending time with Henry before the baby came, but it still felt as though something was wrong, like the rather important middle piece of the puzzle wasn't where it was supposed to. It was turning out quite hard to be content with the pieces on the edge when the thing holding them all together wasn't there, but she continued on, because what other option did she have? _And there was no one missing._ She had no one else, and in the grander scheme of things, this was the fullest her life had been in many years, at least that was how she thought she was supposed to feel. She didn't feel like that, and it was frustrating and infuriating, and before she knew of it, she was in labour, screaming bloody murder and needed a hand to hold onto that wasn't Henry's.

All in all, the birth of her daughter was a much more pleasant experience that the birth of Henry had been. For one, she wasn't cuffed to the bed, and she actually got to spend time with her kid right after it came out of her. And boy, did she make some gorgeous kids? Her daughter – who she had yet to name – came out with a head of dark hair and the brownest of eyes, entering the world with a wail of determination. Emma had a feeling she was going to be a little firecracker.

Lily dropped Henry off at visiting hours the next day, and after she'd greeted the baby, she went searching for food while Henry crawled up next to Emma on the bed, and she taught him how to hold his sister correctly. It was a good feeling; her two kids with her, right where they were supposed to be, and yet there was that odd sense of wrongness, of feeling like this wasn't the way it was supposed to be. Emma had honestly learned to live with it by now, and she had come to accept that maybe it was just her life; that no matter how many good things occurred, it was always going to feel like there was something missing.

"She's gorgeous, Ma," Henry murmured and pressed a kiss to his sister's head. "All that black hair, huh. Did I have hair when I was born?"

She nudged him in the side, "No, you were all bald, Kid."

Henry chuckled, "Well, we can't all be super models when we come out, can we, baby sis?" He whispered the last part to the baby, nuzzled his nose to hers and kissed it carefully. He was already such a great brother; caring, observing, proud.

Emma sighed in contentment and relaxed against the pillow. "So what are we gonna name her? I've thought of a lot of names, but none of them seem to fit her." She watched her daughter carefully, her long lashes – unfairly long considering she was a baby – brushing against her cheeks as she blinked and then stared up at Henry. She wasn't as pale as Emma, and clearly the donor must've been a looker, because her baby was gorgeous. Too bad she couldn't really recall what her donor looked like. Another instant where she was pretty sure her mind must've been one big haze.

"I thought of something," Henry whispered, turning his eyes away from the baby to look up at her instead. "It's kinda… weird. I mean, I thought of it in a dream, but I think it fits her. Now that I see her, I think it fits her perfectly." He stared back down at his sister and ran a finger across her arm, letting it touch her small fingers with the tiny nails and the pink ribbon around her wrist.

Looking at Henry through half-lidded eyes - tired, so very tired - Emma breathed out, "Well, lay it on me, Kid – you're not the only one who's been having weird dreams, so please do tell."

Henry smiled at her as his sister's hand clasped loosely around his finger. "Alba," he firmly said, and Emma felt the name resonate with her the minute it left his lips. "I had a dream where this figure – I don't know who, but in my dream, I knew her - told me her name should be Alba." He stared down at the baby again, his lips curling into a smile, "It means dawn, and I think it fits her perfectly."

"Alba," Emma agreed. She leaned slightly forward to gaze down at her daughter. _She looks like an Alba._ "Good job, Kid," she said and pressed a kiss to the side of Henry's face, "she's definitely an Alba."

Smiling brightly, Henry slipped to the chair next to the bed to hold his sister – Alba – and Emma fell into a dream-filled sleep on the hospital bed, worn-down and tired from the long labour, but happy, so very happy to have two beautiful children in her life. She slept, and she dreamt of a place in Maine; a small town with two-story houses, green lawns and kids riding their bikes. She dreamt of a figure, of an entire family, all nameless, all faceless, but as she dreamt she felt her heart swell. She was happy, happy in this small town in Maine that she'd never been to in her life. She dreamt of coming home to a huge house filled with warmth and protection, of a shared life with someone else, someone she loved – oh boy, did she love her! – without a face or name, but very present and very real.

Her dreams continued as she left the hospital; sometimes she dreamt of that town in Maine, although never anything she could find when she one day – after three weeks of constant dreaming whenever her baby allowed her to sleep – tried to google and use all of her detective skills. Other times she dreamt of a kind of forest with plants she'd never seen before; she dreamt of trekking through the woods, of a giant cave and the unrelenting sea. Those dreams seemed more prudent, like they were some kind of memory almost, but Emma had never left the country, and this was definitely something else.

The same figure kept visiting her dreams, too. She never saw a face or a name; just a mysterious brunette, definitely female, who felt so near and dear to her, like she was someone Emma had known in a former life.

"But we don't know her, do we Alba?" Emma cooed down at her kid, pressing a kiss to her head as Alba nursed on her breast, "Do we?"

Alba's eyes were drooping closed as she ate, and Emma clicked her laptop closed, free hand falling to the cup of decaf coffee next to her. Even without the caffeine boost, she still savoured the taste sometimes, although it could never measure up to hot chocolate with cinnamon.

"Ma?" Henry poked his head out from his bedroom, entering the living room with a book bag slung over his shoulders. "Is it OK if I ditch movie night with Lily? Troy just asked if I wanted to spend the night. They're having burgers."

Emma felt disappoint settle in the pit of her stomach, but she offered Henry a smile and said. "Yeah, sure, that sounds great, Kid…" she brushed a hand over Alba's head and stared down at her youngest child, thankful that she had many years to go with this one before she started ditching her for time with her friends. "But can we please hang out tomorrow? We'll go to the comic book store or whatever you want!"

Henry recognised her attempt for what it was; he slipped across the floor and hugged her from behind. His head fit perfectly on her shoulder like this, and he pressed his cheek to hers. "Chill Ma, it's just tonight. I do wanna spend time with you."

She pouted as she tilted her head to look at him. "Yeah, but don't grow up yet, OK?"

Laughing, Henry's eyes shone with mirth, and for a brief second it was like she got flashes to someone else; who she had no idea, but he reminded her of someone, and that someone was most definitely not Neal. "Hey, I did it for you – I thought you might want to spend some time alone with Lily?" He shuffled awkwardly back as he said that, suddenly so very focused on his sock-clad feet.

 _What the-?_ Reaching a hand out to clasp his hand, she kept him from backing too far away. "Henry, what do you mean? We always wanna have you as a part of movie night! We were gonna watch the Avengers." She shifted in her seat, moving Alba to the other breast; her hands clutched slightly against her, and Emma placed a comforting hand on her belly.

Henry was averting his eyes as he answered her, "Well, I just figured… If you wanted to, it could, you know, be like a…" he murmured the last word so lowly that Emma had no idea what he'd just said.

She leaned forward, over-exaggerating by putting her free hand behind her ear. "A what, Kid?"

Henry rolled his eyes at her antics. "Like a date," he determinedly said and finally met her eyes. She was about to open her mouth to object and ask him _what the fuck_ he was going on about, but he didn't let her. "No, don't argue with me Ma," he whined, "I know you haven't dated in forever, I can't even remember the last time you had a girlfriend or a boyfriend, and now you've got Alba, so I just figured now is the time, y'know?" He flung his hands out, eyes settling on Emma's face, "And Lily's great, yeah? She cares about you _and_ about me and Alba, and she's there for us! Why not date her?"

Emma stared at him, truly baffled by the words coming out of his mouth. He was her _kid_ for fuck's sake! He shouldn't be contemplating things like that and messing with her love life. And she hadn't even thought her love life was something on his radar. "Kid! God, I'm not- I don't wanna – what are you on about!?" Emma spluttered as she looked at her son, not able to get anything coherent across her lips.

Henry grinned sheepishly at her, tucked his hands into his pockets and shrugged. "I just don't want you to be alone forever, Ma."

"Henry," she breathed, her face going soft as she realised what he was thinking, "you're so sweet, Kid, God, but I'm fine, OK? I've got – I've got you guys and that comes first, yeah?"

Henry's face fell with disappointment. "Just… think about it, OK?" He shrugged his shoulders once more, clearly not entirely comfortable with this conversation. "I just don't want you to be closed off to love, y'know? Just 'cus you have me and Alba. We'd be happy for you to have someone."

Emma regarded her son; the son who was quickly growing up and becoming more and more like a young man everyday. What had she ever done to deserve such a wonderful kid? Sometimes she couldn't quite comprehend that she'd managed to raise him so well on her own; it felt almost like she must have had help somewhere along the way. "Kid, you're right," she said and swallowed loudly, not surprised to see his grin when she agreed with him, "but I'm not just gonna date whoever, OK? But I promise you that I'm open to it, so when I meet the right person…" she trailed off, letting the statement speak for itself.

Henry nodded his head. "Okay Ma," he said as he stepped forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I'll be heading out now. Have fun with Lily," he added, before he turned on his heel and left the apartment.

As the door smacked close behind him, Emma stared down at her daughter, who'd been done nursing for awhile now and was just looking up at her with big, beautiful brown eyes. "Thank God you're only four months and have no opinions on my dating life," Emma mused aloud as she tucked Alba onto her shoulder to burp her. "You're gonna be as hardheaded as your big brother, aren't you?" She patted her back soothingly, "I make stubborn-ass children," she finished, just as the intercom buzzed, announcing Lily's arrival, and they had a cozy evening with movies, popcorn and a crying baby, but no talks of dating whatsoever.

Emma soon realised though that Henry might have conferred with Lily on those dating-plans, even if she'd told him not to, because around three weeks later, Lily showed up with a bouquet of flowers and told Emma that they needed to talk. Emma wasn't stupid; she knew what 'we need to talk' meant. It meant something serious, oftentimes something that she perhaps wouldn't care for; it meant being sent away from her latest foster home, being kicked out of school even though she hadn't done anything wrong. It meant being disposable, always disposable – even if she had a strange feeling that this was exactly the opposite. The question was though – how would Lily handle her answer? _Disposable._

"So," Lily smiled as she took a seat across from Emma at the kitchen table; Alba was napping in the nursery, Henry was consumed in video games, so it was just the two of them. "I know that… when we first met again, you weren't really in a place in your life where you… considered dating people. I mean, you had a lot going on." Lily motioned towards Emma's now almost flat stomach – losing the excess baby weight had thankfully been rather easy for her with her vigorous fitness routine and the fact that she was in great shape before the baby – and clutched her cup of coffee.

Emma hummed, "Yeah, I sure had a lot going on at that point, didn't I? But I met you!" She smiled at her friend and tried not to panic at the upcoming question, because it was in the air tonight, and she knew what her answer was going to be, and Lily wasn't going to like it. She wasn't _ready_ to date, she'd been honest with Henry about that, and Lily was probably doing all of this because she cared about the kids and she cared about Emma, and they'd always, always since they were thirteen, had such a strong connection. "I'm so thankful to have you in my life again, Lily."

Lily's face lit up at that, and perhaps it had been the wrong thing to say, "Yes! And so I was thinking – at lot of time has passed, and you have these amazing kids that I love so much," she stared briefly at the closed door to the nursery where Alba was sleeping soundly, "And… what would you say, if… I perhaps wanted to take you out on a date?"

Her face fell immediately, and she was pretty sure that Lily could tell that her answer wasn't going to be positive. "Lily, I…" she stopped. She wasn't even sure how she was going to phrase this. She didn't want to lose Lily, even if she didn't want to date her. She wasn't ready for that; she didn't know why she wasn't ready, but it still felt like there was a huge hole inside of her, and Lily just wasn't the right fit for that hole. She knew that the other woman meant well, and once upon a time Emma would have loved to date Lily, but things change, and she wasn't _in love_ with Lily. Could she fall in love with her again? Perhaps, if things were different. But things were like this, and Emma was missing something, but it was something that Lily couldn't fit into.

"No," Lily said, shaking her head, sending brown locks flying, "don't say no yet, just listen to me, Swannie, OK? Listen," she reached a hand out and gently took Emma's free one inside of it, clasping it tightly. "We could be happy, OK? It'll be just like we dreamed of when we were thirteen except _better,_ because you have these amazing kids, and fuck it, I've been here since before Alba was born, and I just… I love this kids, y'know? And I love you."

Emma looked up at her at that; she couldn't help the way her heart swelled slightly when Lily mentioned caring so much for her children – it was a motherly thing, something she couldn't stop. But that still didn't mean that they were supposed to be a _couple._ "And I love you, Lily – you're my _best friend_. Something I haven't had in a very long time, yeah? And yes, I was a little bit in love with you when we were kids, but we're not kids anymore, and I'm just… I'm just not ready. I don't know if I'll ever be."

It was hard to explain – when she talked about being ready to date again, about feeling like the right time – it almost sounded like she was supposed to be moving on from somebody. Emma knew it was ridiculous, because there'd been nobody in her life for such a long time, and she realised how it must sound to other people, but… it truly was about being ready. Ready to move on from what? She wasn't sure. But she just wasn't there yet.

Lily sighed, defeated. It was clear that this idea of Henry's had been something she was totally on board with, and Emma knew they both meant well, but this wasn't the way to go. "Okay then…" she reached for her coffee cup and let her fingers curl around it. "Just… know that I'm here, OK? Whatever you need."

"Hey," Emma said and she felt this so deeply inside of her; she wanted to make Lily happy, one of the three people in the world whom she cared for, and she wanted to perhaps, someday, feel ready to have a relationship, and then who would be better to have it with than Lily? "I _promise_ you, Page.. that the second I feel like I'm ready, I'll let you know."

A soft smile came upon Lily's face then, and it was a rejection, but it was also something more, and Emma deeply wished that she could just jump into this with her – it'd be so much easier, and she was sure they could be _happy._ But it wasn't the right time or the right feelings, and so there she was, rejecting her best friend and hoping that Lily would still be there after. "Cool," she said and took a long drag of her coffee, "So let's put a pin in that and watch a movie! Don't worry, Swannie," she winked at her, laughter playing in her eyes, "I'm not going anywhere."

Emma desperately hoped that that was true, because Lily might not be able to fill that oddly shaped hole inside of her – inside of her family – but she could definitely make it feel a little less painful and lonely.

* * *

A/N: Once more: There'll be no Lily/Emma romance in this fic, and next chapter is back to the present where Regina will try to get Emma to remember. This is also the last chapter in the past for a little while – there'll be at least one at a later point regarding Neverland – so it should be a lot of Swanqueen interactions from now on. If any of you have any ideas, suggestions for what you'd like to see Swanqueen get up to in New York as Regina works on getting Emma and Henry to remember, please shoot them at me! I have a very lose outline of the time before the next big plot point, so I'd love to have suggestions.


	5. Chapter Five: Meeting Again Again

A/N: You're all so sweet with your concerns for Lily! I can promise you that I have nice things in store for her, too, but that I'm not going to tell, and that it takes a little while before we get there. This chapter was fun to write, so I hope it's fun to read!

* * *

 **CHAPTER FIVE – MEETING AGAIN AGAIN**

She changed her tactics after her first failed attempt at reconnecting with Emma and Henry. Really, this was the way she should have done it from the start, and so she spent an evening being furious with herself over the phone while coming up with a plan with Mulan, Mary Margaret and David. They reassured her that everything was going to be fine – Mary Margaret's faith was disturbing as always – but Regina had a really hard time accepting the fact that she'd let herself be thrown off kilter the way she had.

It was just… when she saw Emma with that woman in the park it had ignited something vicious inside of her, and she'd been desperate to make them remember. Because if they remembered, surely Emma would forget everything about her new family and come running back to her old. Regina knew it wasn't going to be that easy, not with a kid in the middle, but if Emma could just _remember._ That was the first step.

She snuck into Emma's apartment one day and spiked the decaf coffee on the kitchen table with the forgetting potion. It should work just fine; their last few interactions would be forgotten, and they could move forward from there. She didn't take the time to look too much around, hoping that she'd come back eventually once she reconnected with Emma and Henry; instead she ventured to the fourth floor where she had an appointment, signing her name at the bottom of a paper, officially buying a small, one-bedroom apartment in the same building that her family lived in. She'd channeled all her fake Storybrooke money into the real world, and it had gone smoothly, thus getting the next part of her plan in motion.

After that she got settled; she unpacked and made sure that it resembled some kind of home. Hopefully she wasn't going to live there for too long, but she did have to make sure that it was comfortable. Her plan was to do as she'd first thought – go knock on Emma's door and introduce herself as new in the building – and hopefully they'd fall into an easy conversation; something to build onto. But first: Groceries.

There was a store just down the block, so she grabbed her wallet – filled with real-world money, thank you very much – and made her way down there. She had listened to Mary Margaret's insistent talks of taking care of herself, of remembering that this was a journey, not a race – she couldn't win by moving too fast, and she had to make sure that she was able to handle the challenges. She'd scoffed at that. She was the Evil Queen for goodness sake! And where did Snow White get off trying to lecture her about anything? Secretly, she'd liked that the other woman cared, even if her caring meant having to deal with her a lot. It was still hard for Regina to believe that Mary Margaret and David did indeed care truly for her – some days, even in the Enchanted Forest - she woke up believing it was all a ruse, that it was fake and a plan to get her down. But what did it matter anyway? The only thing that mattered was Henry and Emma, and she had to remember that.

She was mentally making a list of groceries in her mind – perhaps she should make enchiladas tonight; she had a craving for it – when she almost ran into someone right outside of the corner store. "Would you look where you're-!" She stopped talking when she saw who was in front of her. _Emma._ She almost blurted out the name of the woman she'd often found herself so consumed in thoughts of, but thankfully she managed to catch herself before she ruined the second chance she got. Or was it third at this point? "I'm sorry," she quickly recovered, as Emma's wide green eyes shot up to meet hers.

The blonde was struggling with a stroller, it appeared, she had the baby on one arm and loaded grocery bags next to her on the street, and the stroller… it wasn't really functioning. Emma gave a strained gruff. "Yeah me too, it sure as fuck looks like this cheap-ass stroller is broken."

Regina quickly reached forward and took a hold of the offending piece of baby necessity. "Here, let me take a look. Just a second." She kneeled down at that, trying to see if she could locate the problem, all the while she was painfully aware of the fact that Emma was _right there._ Goodness, Regina wanted to kiss her. And thankfully it appeared that the forgetting potion had worked because Emma showed no signs of ever knowing her. "Hmm, it appears to be stuck," she murmured, as she glanced up at Emma, who was having great troubles with the baby on her hip who was now making tiny noises.

"Yeah, there's this button on the side, but it's not really working right now," Emma groaned and tilted her head as Regina stood up again, "Hey, hold this one for a sec., and I can just-" She thrust the baby into Regina's arms, before she had any time to object, and bent down to take a look at the stroller herself.

Regina stared down at the child in her arms at that, momentarily forgetting the busy New York street and the annoyed woman on the pavement beside her, only having eyes for the little human in her arms. God, Emma's baby was beautiful. Regina let her eyes scan over her small face with the tufts of dark hair; long eyelashes and pink cheeks. She couldn't explain it, but something settled inside of her as she locked eyes on the baby whose eyes – brown as Regina's own – trailed over hers briefly. She _cared_ for this baby. It was instant, like a surge of affection rushed over her the second she touched the child, and she just _cared._ Perhaps it was because she knew that this was Emma's child, regardless of who the other parent was, Henry's sibling. Regina just cared instantaneously. "Well hello," she breathed, not able to tear her eyes away from the cute, little nose.

The baby gurgled happily, lifting its hand to clasp onto the lapel of Regina's jacket before descending into a babble of "Buh, buh, buh, muh," as its fingers strained around the material. Regina couldn't help the grin on her face at that.

"You're a talkative one, aren't you?" She let her eyes travel away from the child to stare down at Emma instead – only to find that the blonde woman had stopped whatever she was doing to gaze up at them in surprise. Regina bit her lip. "What?"

Emma stood up, briefly brushing her hands off in her jeans. "No, it's just – she never talks to strangers like that." Her eyes settled on the child, a small frown of confusion appearing on her forehead. "You're really good with her."

Regina laughed, "Just call me the baby-whisperer." She stuck her hand out, "I'm Regina."

"Emma," Emma replied as she shook her hand, before motioning towards the child in Regina's arms. "And that's my daughter Alba."

Regina stared down at the baby. _Alba._ "My grandmother's name was Alba," she whispered as she looked up to meet Emma's eyes once more. There was a brief silence between them – almost comfortable, familiar, at least to Regina – and she eventually cleared her throat. "No luck with the stroller?"

Staring down at the stroller, Emma shook her head. "No, it appears that I'm going to have to take a further look at that at home with my tools." She glanced to the groceries then, her worry only growing bigger. Regina knew all of Emma's faces, and that one was clear to her.

"Will you be able to get all of this home on your own?" she asked next, shifting slightly on her feet. For some reason she was still holding Emma's daughter – and it felt amazing, and not at all strange – and Emma appeared to be totally at ease with that.

Emma scratched her chin. "Uhm, I guess I'll have to… call someone." She reached into the pocket of her jeans, as if to get out her cell phone, but Regina stopped her.

"I have time," she said, trying to play if off as nonchalantly as possible. She shouldn't appear too eager, that would only alert Emma. "I can walk you home. Carry those groceries for you." She motioned towards the bags with a beating heart. If Emma took her up on her offer, this was the perfect time to start building up a connection with her.

With a look of surprise, Emma said, "You don't mind?"

Regina shook her head, and the smile on Emma's face lit a fire inside of her. "No, it'll be my pleasure." She moved to hand Alba back to her mother, but Emma waved her off and bent down to grab the groceries. "Emma?"

Emma smiled. "You can carry her, and I'll do the boring lifting," she explained. She grabbed the two bags of groceries in one hand and moved to half-carry, half-drag the stroller with the other. "I live right down the block." She started walking briskly down the street, Regina quickly speeding up her pace to walk with her. Of course she knew where Emma lived; she now lived there herself too, but she wasn't going to allude to that.

"So," Regina begun as she walked alongside Emma, their shoulders almost brushing against each other. She felt a thrill inside of her, but she had to thread carefully. What would be some of the first things that you asked someone about when you first met them? Her eyes landed on Alba in her arms. "Is it just you and Alba then?"

Glancing at her from the corner of her eye, Emma said, "I have another kid, too. He's way older though, he's at school right now. His name is Henry." She smiled fondly, and Regina recognised her proud Mama-face.

Regina forced a smile. _Not mentioning the girlfriend._ She said, "Well, children are the greatest gift of all, wouldn't you say?"

"You have kids?" Emma questioned, and they were nearing the fenced-off apartment building where they lived.

Hesitating, Regina decided to answer truthfully. The fewer lies she'd have to tell – even if this entire life was a lie – the better. That way she'd more easily remember what she'd told Emma and what the other woman knew. "I… I have a son, actually. He uh, he's not with me at the moment." She glanced at Emma and offered the other woman a soft smile, "He's with his other mom, and I know that he's fine, I just, I miss him."

Emma got a soft look in her eyes, and Regina was pretty sure that she would have reached a hand out to squeeze her arm if she hadn't been carrying so many things. "I'm sorry," she honestly said. "I don't know what I would do if my kids weren't with me." She sighed and pointed towards the fence just a few feet down the street, "I live in there by the way."

Regina mustered a surprised huff. "What a coincidence," she said and arched an eyebrow, "I just moved in on the fourth floor."

"No way!" Emma laughed as they stopped in front of the intercom, and Regina was quick to dig into her own pocket to fish out the keys so Emma wouldn't have to.

She placed the digital key piece on the scanner and motioned towards the names on the intercom. "R. Mills," she explained as the door buzzed and they stepped inside, Emma still dragging the stroller behind her.

They moved towards the door, and Emma mused. "Mills, huh," she let the word slip across her lips, and there was that hint of confusion in her eyes again, like they were clouded over, and Regina recognised the signs of a memory curse easily. "Mills. Sounds familiar."

Regina pushed the door open and they crossed the small lobby to step into the elevator. Alba was still babbling, apparently very happy in Regina's arms, and as Emma pressed the button to the ninth floor by using her elbow, Regina stared down at the small child in her arms. Goodness, she was getting attached to this girl way too easily. It was probably all of the things that reminded her of Emma – and Henry by extension – and she couldn't help it. Those huge brown eyes gazing up at her – they were doing strange things to her heart – even if they had nothing to do with either Emma or Henry.

"I live just down here," Emma explained as they stepped off the elevator. She seemed a bit tired right now, worn out by the struggle with the stroller, and Regina followed her down the hall and into the apartment. Emma smacked the door close behind them by use of foot and dropped the bothersome stroller in the hallway. "Just sit down wherever," she motioned for Regina to follow, and Regina did, holding a now giggling Alba in her arm as she tucked at Regina's hair.

"Nice place. My apartment is smaller," Regina mumbled as she glanced carefully around the home. She immediately recognised pictures of Henry and a stack of books on the coffee table, and she couldn't help but think that they'd made a nice home for themselves.

Emma dropped the grocery bags on the counter. "Yeah, we have three bedrooms including the tiny nursery. It was my office before I had Alba." She took a seat on one of the kitchen chairs and motioned for Regina to do the same. "Sit. I'll make coffee in a sec., I just need to catch my breath."

Regina took a seat as well. "You don't need to."

"I want to." Emma replied, and her voice was so soft and grateful, it was endearing. "It was really sweet of you to help me out like that – I had no idea what I would've done. Probably left the stroller." She stood up at those words and turned to the counter for a second, before thinking better off it and motioning towards Alba who was still sitting – quite happily – in Regina's lap. "I should probably relieve you of her."

Bending her head slightly to look down at Alba, Regina said, "I don't mind." She looked up at Emma and clutched the baby tighter to herself. "She's quite charming this one."

Emma laughed. "Tell me about it!" She turned around and quickly filled the kettle with water before turning it on. "So Regina," she continued as she got the cups out and reached for the instant coffee – one regular and one decaf – before she measured the teaspoons. "What brings you to this neighbourhood?"

A fluttering feeling roamed in her stomach as she took in Emma as she was; leaned with her hip against the counter and her red leather jacket still on. Her hair shone brightly in the afternoon light streaming in through the windows, and Regina was so _thankful_ that she was finally able to look at her again, that Emma was actually standing right in front of her. After such a long time, Regina was finally where she'd desperately wanted to be, and it felt entirely surreal. She knew that she was so far from the ideal goal, but honestly, just being able to look at Emma – no matter how cursed the situation – made her happy. "I needed a change of scenery," Regina explained as she followed Emma's movement around the kitchen; the blonde was putting away groceries.

"Yeah, where from?" Emma questioned as she stood one her tip-toes, reaching into a cupboard to store canned tomatoes and beans.

Alba babbled, and Regina let her tug on her outstretched finger as she replied, "I was the mayor in a small town called Storybrooke." She paused, brown eyes settling onto Emma as she watched very carefully for any form of reaction, but there was absolutely no sign of recognition. "The small-town life got a little dull for me now that I was alone, so I decided to try something new."

Emma paused, hand outstretched towards the open fridge and turned with a wistful smile to Regina. "A small town, huh? Sure sounds nice." She continued to stock the fridge with fresh vegetables and meat. "I mean, sometimes I think…" she trailed off, reaching for a jug of milk, just as the water boiled.

Regina arched an eyebrow. "You think?"

"Hm?" Emma absentmindedly reached to pour the water. "Oh yeah, sometimes I just think it'd be wonderful to move Alba and Henry to a small town, y'know?" She stirred the coffees – adding a dash of milk to Regina's - and placed them on the kitchen table, between them both, before dumping the spoon in the sink. "Give them a huge house, let them ride their bikes…" she smiled warmly and wrapped her hands around her cup. "Alba's really taken a shine to you."

Looking down at the small child, Regina grinned. "Yes, she seems to have! I'm available for babysitting anytime, just say the word." She reached for her own cup of coffee and stared down at the brown liquid. For a second she was confused – did she tell Emma to pour milk in her coffee? She raised her eyes to meet the other woman's.

Emma frowned. "Did I pour milk in yours? I didn't even ask?" She reached forward to grab the cup. "I don't know where my head's at, I'll make you a fresh one."

But Regina avoided her attempts to grab the cup. "A dash of milk is how I take it," she replied to a very confused-looking Emma; she raised the cup to her lips for good measure and took a long sip. Apparently Emma remembered her preferred coffee subconsciously – it wasn't much, but it was sure something, and it told Regina that Pan's curse was flawed; that there were holes in it that his magic hadn't filled, that there were gaps and spaces. Regina could work with gaps and spaces until she managed to get Emma and Henry to drink the potions containing their hairs.

"My mind is all over the place these days, I swear I forgot a few hours from Sunday." She glanced at Alba and slipped off her jacket. "I think I better get to feeding her, before she has to go down for her nap. You don't mind, do you?" She reached over the table and carefully slipped Alba out of Regina's arms.

Regina missed the contact – whatever it was – immediately. "No, I don't… I don't mind," she lamely said and continued to watch as Emma slipped down her tank top, opened the front clasp of her bra and let one of her breasts pop out. She suddenly found her brown coffee to be very interesting, even though she had spent a lot of time thinking about exactly those parts of Emma's body.

"We're still easing our way into solid food," Emma explained as she pressed a kiss to her daughter's head and breathed her in.

Eyeing mother and child quizzically, Regina tried to determine whether or not that was on time or not. She still had a hard time putting an age on the baby though. "How old is Alba?"

"She just turned six months actually," Emma quickly replied and there was that proud Mama-look on her face again.

 _Six months?_ Regina frowned. Somehow she thought that those numbers didn't quite sound right. Emma must have gotten pregnant _very_ quickly once entering this curse. That pained Regina a lot to think about, even if the end-product had been the wonderful child she was just getting to know. "Wonderful. I'm sure she'll be eating all solids soon." Regina cast a glance to her watch and pushed her chair back. "I should probably get back to the store though. Thanks for the coffee. Maybe we can do it again someday? I don't know many people here."

An adorable look of confusion and disappointment appeared on Emma'a face at Regina's words, she couldn't help but be pleased that Emma was somehow feeling this connection with her so soon – although she'd probably be very reluctant to let it show. "I kept you from your shopping!" she whined, green eyes shining. "Why don't you stay for dinner with me and the kids? As a thank you for all your help."

Did Regina want to stay for dinner with Emma and Henry? And Alba? There was nothing she would rather do, especially because that meant getting to see Henry again. For real this time, up and close. She'd told herself though that she had to take things at a slower pace this time around, but did that rule apply when it was Emma who offered? Her hesitation must have been clear on her face, because Emma spoke up again.

"I insist," she said and motioned towards the only half-drank coffee. "I think Henry would like to meet you. He loves grown-ups. Are you good at math?"

Regina laughed and picked up her coffee.

—

Emma watched as Regina moved around her kitchen effortlessly, digging into drawers and cupboards in search of kitchen supplies, opening the fridge to find cheese and looking at the rack for spices. It was strange, how at ease Regina appeared to move around in her kitchen – they were basically strangers after all, despite the fact that they'd spent the afternoon together without even noticing – but Emma had always loved people who seemed to fall into place with her immediately. It had never been easy for her, to just connect with someone like this, but with Regina it was happening without her even trying.

There was such a familiarity with the other woman. She laughed at Emma's goofy jokes, and when Emma started burning the sauce for the lasagna that she was trying to cook them – she wanted to treat her new friend to something other than Mac and cheese, even though she'd never made a successful lasagna before, thank you very much – she stood up from her seat by the table with a sigh and pushed Emma away from the stove. Since then she'd basically taken over cooking the meal that _Emma_ wanted to treat her to, but Emma tried to make up for it by being funny (she wasn't sure it was appreciated all the time though) and just talked a lot about Henry. Regina seemed very interested in learning about her kid – which was nice, because Regina was nice, and if she liked Emma's kids, then Emma liked her a whole lot more – and she asked many questions, and Emma honestly thought that she and Henry was going to get along great once he got home from school.

Emma loved watching Regina work – tasting sauce, chopping vegetables, grating cheese – and she sat by the table, Alba asleep in her crib, and enjoyed the sudden life and homeyness the other woman brought into her kitchen. Of course Regina was _very nice_ to look at, too, Emma had thought that the second she'd almost been run over by the other woman, and she caught herself trailing her eyes down Regina's backside more than once when she bent forward. It was strange. It was odd. It was something, and Emma couldn't remember the last time she'd felt… _interested._ She was attracted to Regina, and it was a bit scary, but also very nice. Not that she was ever going to do anything about it.

 _She did say that her son was with his_ _ **other**_ _mother,_ Emma mused as she sipped her water.

"Can I spice this how I like it?" Regina broke her out of her thoughts and turned to Emma with a beatific smile. Her dark hair was pulled back slightly, tucked behind her ears, and the scar on her upper lip – the scar that Emma was quickly becoming very enthralled with – shone with a shimmer of sweat.

Emma nodded, "Yeah, go right ahead." She watched as Regina pensively turned to the spice rack. "You like cooking, huh?"

Regina picked a few bottles from the rack. "Yes. I used to love cooking for my son. I'm quite enjoying getting to cook for someone else tonight."

"Well, you won't hear me complaining if you want to do it again sometime," Emma replied, eyes strained on Regina's long fingers as she dipped them into the spices and drizzled the spices into the sauce. "I'm not one for cooking."

Turning to Emma with an arched eyebrow, Regina dryly said, "Somehow I'm not surprised."

Emma stuck her tongue out at her. "Well yeah. Henry's still alive, so I guess I do okay." She folded her hands around the glass and continued. "You're pretty great, you know that? You just helped a random stranger on the street, and fuck, you connected so easily with Alba, too! And now you're cooking for us…" she trailed off, lifting her eyes to meet Regina's, "You're really something else."

A flicker of something appeared on Regina's face at that. Emma couldn't quite place what it was, but it was quickly replaced with a happy smile. "Well. I need friends in this new city, so I guess I'm trying to be open to that."

Pointing her thumbs towards herself, Emma said, "Well, you've got a friend right here."

Their eyes met briefly at that, and a wonderful smile appeared on Regina's face. God, she was beautiful, Emma could hardly tear her eyes away from her. How could someone be _this gorgeous?_ It was unreal. She felt herself flush and lowered her eyes back to her glass as Regina turned back to the stove to start putting together the layers of the lasagna.

The sudden – but no less comfortable – silence was broken by the slamming of the front door and the telltale signs of Henry kicking off his sneakers and throwing his bag on the floor. "Ma!" he hollered, "I'm home!"

"Kitchen, Kiddo," Emma hollered back, and her eyes landed on Regina as the other woman turned away from the stove and the lasagna; she ran a few fingers through her hair, straightened her blouse, and Emma found it odd how she appeared to be so nervous to meet Henry for the first time.

Henry stuck his head around the wall, "When's … dinner?" He paused as his eyes settled on the stranger in his kitchen. He glanced briefly at Emma, before stepping forward and waving his hand awkwardly. "Hi. I'm Henry."

Emma motioned towards the other woman. "This is Regina, she just moved in down on fourth."

"Oh." Henry's eyes trailed towards the stove, and they turned wide as they landed on the food there. "Are you making lasagna?" His excitement was evident, and he stepped past her, glancing into the pot. "Ma always burns everything."

"Hey," Emma said in mock-offence, just as Regina's brown eyes settled onto Henry with a certain warmth that Emma couldn't exactly pinpoint. It did something to her heart, it swelled up strangely, like it filled itself with hotness, fondness, love, and she felt her breath catch in her throat as she watched Regina talk to Henry.

Regina pointed towards something, "My trick is the sauce," she told him, like they were sharing some big secret, "I add an extra ingredient. You'll have to see if you like it later."

Henry nodded eagerly and turned to take a seat at the table. "Is Alba sleeping?"

Emma nodded, "Yeah! Regina tired her all out, she was babbling like crazy until I put her down for her nap." She met Regina's fond smile over Henry's shoulder, "You have homework, Henry? Regina tells me she's good at math."

With excited eyes, Henry rushed towards the hallway to get his bag. "You are?" He sat down and pulled it open, getting out books and a pencil case. "Ma can never help me with school, especially not math. She says she's street smart," he explained.

Regina tittered, shiny eyes landing on Emma's face. "Oh, does she now?"

"It's a real thing," Emma nodded in agreement.

Placing a somewhat motherly hand on Henry's shoulder, Regina gave it a light squeeze. "I'm sure your mother has a lot of other great attributes, Henry." She looked at Emma, eyes landing determinedly on her face, "And I'll help you with math, let me just get the dinner in the oven."

And so Henry got started on his math as Regina finished layering the lasagna, and Emma offered to chop the last of the vegetables for the salad (salad, really? She felt like she couldn't object too much on it though, Regina probably loved salad) while the two of them did math. She was stood by the counter, chopping a week old head of lettuce that Regina had discovered in her fridge, while she watched the two of them out of the corner of her eye. She thought it was very cute; the way they were both bent over the books and Henry scribbled away while Regina pointed and explained. She sliced some bell peppers just as Alba announced herself in the nursery.

Regina looked up, a shimmer of happiness? in her eyes, and Emma dumped the bell peppers into the salad bowl. "Salad's all done. You do math and I'll take the screaming kid."

She felt comfortable leaving Henry and Regina to themselves, like it was only natural and not at all strange – which was weird, because it had taken her knowing Lily for _three_ months before she invited her back to the apartment and _two_ before she met Henry – but with Regina it was just so familiar. And she'd _just_ met this woman, which made the feelings inside of her even more inexplicable. She mused it all over as she got Alba out of the crib to get her a diaper-change. She teased her and played with her as she lay on the changing table, and Alba's loud babbles filled the entire nursery. Once she was done, she peeked into to kitchen from the doorway – not wanting to disturb Henry, Regina and the homework – but the books lay discarded on the kitchen counter, and Henry was setting the table while talking animatedly about this project he was working on for his Creative Writing class.

"So you have a great imagination, have you?" Regina asked as Henry placed the knives around the table, tongue poking out of his mouth in concentration. It was clear that he was trying his best to impress their dinner guest.

Henry nodded. "I love writing all kinds of things! And drawings too, I guess. But I mostly like writing."

Regina smiled and took a sip of her water glass. "And what kind of stories do your prefer writing?"

"I love fairytales, I always have," Henry explained as he was finally done setting the table and took a seat across from Regina. "I mean, some of my friends think I'm a bit too old for fairytales now and they kinda tease me about it, but it's all with love, and my friend Troy – he's so cool, you'll have to meet him someday! – he likes to read my altered fairytales. And by altered, I mean that I like to write-"

"Whoa whoa whoa, Kid, slow down," Emma teased him as she stepped into the kitchen with Alba on her hip. "I'm sure Regina would like to hear all about your writing, but remember to breathe, yeah?" She took a seat on the chair next to Regina and propped Alba up on her lap. "And grab Alba's mashed potatoes from the fridge, please."

Henry stood up and retrieved the jar with a sigh, also grabbing a tea spoon for his mother. "Here," he said, before he sat down again. "As I was saying," he turned to Regina with a pointed look in Emma's direction as she unscrewed the lid, "I write altered fairytales. Like, what if there was more than seven dwarfs? What if Peter Pan was really an evil person who _snatched_ away kids, or … what if Red Riding Hood was really a wolf, but she didn't know it?" He smiled proudly and puffed out his chest, clearly pleased with his own imagination.

And Emma was quite pleased with his imagination too, she always had been. She remembered feeling frustrated at one point when he was younger, where he was convinced that everything around them was a fairytale and that True Love's Kiss was real, but now she was just imagining a bright future for her son as an author of amazing stories. Regina looked quite impressed too, if Emma was reading the look on her face correctly. Her mouth was slightly agape, and her eyes wide.

Regina blinked. "You… you write about that?" Her voice was almost breathless as she asked him.

Scooping a bit of mashed potato onto the spoon, Emma pried it into Alba's mouth. "Yeah, the kid's got some crazy ideas!" She pulled the spoon back out, pleased to see that Alba was eating without a fuss right now. She dug back in for more. "Tell her how you think of them, Kid."

Henry appeared almost shy at that, and he fidgeted awkwardly with the fork next to him. "Well, I… I sorta… dream? About most of them." He smiled sheepishly and dared meet Regina's gaze. "It just comes to me in dreams. Ma says it's totally normal and that she gets most of her brilliant ideas when she sleeps."

"It's true," Emma agreed as she nodded her head and offered Alba another spoonful, "I get _brilliant_ ideas every night. I think that's how I decided to have another kid, y'know? In a dream I just saw myself having more kids, and…" she trailed off, swallowing loudly as she pulled the spoon back into the jar. She wasn't entirely sure if it was a dream, but it felt kind of like it.

Regina reached a hand across the table and placed it on top of Henry's with care. "It sounds really wonderful, Henry. I would love to read some of your stories at some point if you'll let me!"

With an eager smile, Henry said, "Yeah! I'll get you my favourite. It's the one I'm currently writing, so you'll have to wait a while, I hope that's OK."

"It's more than OK," Regina replied, and Emma just loved the way her cheeks were slightly pink and her brown eyes were shining with so much happiness.

The oven timer dinged, and Regina pushed her chair back. "Looks like dinner's ready!" She put on the oven mitts and got the piping hot dish and placed it carefully on the table. Henry's eyes were wide and Emma herself was practically drooling; it looked that delicious. Regina motioned towards Henry, offering him the serving spoon. "You do the honours, Henry."

He eagerly scooped slices of lasagna onto all of their plates, and he was almost ready to start eating when a pointed eyebrow from Regina caused him to serve them all a helping of salad, too. Emma was quite amused; she'd never been able to parent Henry like that, but Regina was _such a mom._ She was natural with both Henry and Alba, and Emma had no troubles imagining her being a parent to her own kid – which made her wonder why her son lived with his other mother and not Regina. Perhaps that was a question for another day, once they knew each other a bit better. At least she wanted to know Regina better, which was surprising in itself.

"Oh my God, this' amazing," Emma managed to get out between big mouthfuls of delicious lasagna. It was a bit spicy – spicier than she was used to cooking – and she reached for her water glass as soon as she'd swallowed and downed half of it.

Regina's eyes shone in amusement. "A bit spicy, is it?" She daintily scooped a piece of lasagna onto her own fork and placed it between her red lips.

Emma turned to Henry, surprised to see that he was handling the heat a whole lot better than she was. "You don't find it too spicy, Henry?"

Happily chewing away, Henry shook his head. "Nope, it's actually… nice." He grinned and shot a teasing look towards Emma, "Not as bland as your food, Ma."

"Hey!" Emma offendedly said, but she laughed all the same. Alba gurgled happily in her lap, and Emma pressed a kiss to her head as she laid down her own fork to reach for Alba's spoon instead. "You want food in your tummy too, right Alba-kins, my little munchkin!"

Regina chuckled, her throaty voice translating to a wonderful throaty sound as this as well, and Emma found herself loving it immediately. "You try eating more spicy food, Em-ma, it's good for you."

Emma offered her a gleaming smile back. "No doubt, no doubt."

Henry reached forward to go for another piece of lasagna, but Emma saw that there was still a lot of salad left on his plate, skilfully scatted around the piece of porcelain as if that would make it seem lesser. Regina must have caught onto the same thing, because at the same time they said, "Eat your salad first," before looking at each other and breaking into laughs.

Henry dutifully shoved all the greens into his mouth with a groan.

—-

Ma was acting so weird this evening, Henry had noticed that the second he got home from school. He wasn't sure if it was because she was just well-rested for once, or maybe it had something to do with Regina down from fourth. He thought it was probably Regina down from fourth, because Ma kept telling really lame jokes and offering wine even if she couldn't have any herself, and more than once he'd kind of caught her… staring a bit.

It was mega gross.

Henry liked Regina though, like totally. She was pretty cool for a grownup, and she'd helped him with his math homework and she was interested in reading his stories. He wouldn't mind if she came by again, that was for sure. Even if she was kinda staring a lot at Ma, too. Which was even weirder, because his Ma was not _that_ cool. Like, he realised that she was pretty young for having a 12-year-old, and he guessed she was kind of good looking because her job kept her in shape – if you were into that kind of thing – but she was also a _slob._ Like a gross, woman-child who just had a baby and said awkward things to him in front of his friends, even if she did let him play a lot of playstation and buy him a lot of comics.

So okay, his Ma was probably pretty cool, at least a lot of his friends seemed to think so. To him she was just Ma.

Regina was just a lot different from her, was all. She was like a grownup-grownup; she wore red lipstick and high heels and she knew how to cook without burning things. Why would she have anything to do with Ma? Henry couldn't quite figure it out, but she kept staring at Ma with really weird eyes that were just so big and shiny. And Ma was honestly blushing, and it was just very embarrassing.

So he was playing his playstation with his headphones in, also because he wanted to give them some privacy, but then he'd sort of turned the volume all the way down so he was still able to hear them. Alba was sleeping, and they were just on the couch _talking._ He had definitely thought for a very long time that Ma was finally going to get a girlfriend in Lily, but perhaps it wasn't going to be like that after all. He was kind of curious to see how this one would go.

He didn't mind either way, as long as his Ma was happy. And Regina seemed kind of familiar, and he thought that maybe it was because she reminded him of one of the characters that he wrote a lot about. He'd have to think more on it.

"…so I swear, Alba's birth was _way_ easier than Henry's. For several reasons actually, but mostly because it didn't take as many hours," Ma explained as she trailed a finger around the top of her water glass.

Regina shifted awkwardly on the couch, and Henry watched them from the corner of his eye. "They do say that the second birth it easier, maybe that's why?" Her face was soft, and Henry thought that she maybe was a little drunk on wine, but she was also sitting very close to Ma. Actually, he thought that she'd somehow moved even closer to Ma than she had been in the beginning.

Ma sighed. "Yeah, I guess so. But childbirth is never any fun."

"I wouldn't know," Regina replied and sipped at the remainder of her wine. "I uh… I didn't carry my son, so."

Regina had a son? She hadn't mentioned that all night, and where was he? Didn't he live with her? Henry wasn't sure why, but his chest filled with an odd sense of excitement knowing that Regina was a mom, but at the same time it filled with a sense of sorrow. He frowned at the feeling.

Ma's face dropped slightly. "Oh?"

Regina shifted awkwardly in her seat and cast a short glance at Henry who was quick to look straight at the game although he'd been standing in the same place for the last three minutes. "He was adopted," Regina finally said, and Henry turned slightly again, straining his ears and eyes to hear Ma's reply.

With a nod, Ma reached a hand over and carefully grasped Regina's free one. "I'm sorry he's not with you right now. Hopefully he will be soon."

"I'm working on it," Regina replied and downed the rest of her wine. "Anyway, I should get going. I need to get up early to finishing unpacking and I still have that trip to the grocery store to look forward to." She chuckled awkwardly and brushed her hands over her pants.

Ma look very disappointed at that. "Yeah, that's… true, I guess?" She reached forward at that and pulled Henry's headphones off his head, and he had to pretend that he hadn't been listening in, so he shot her a glare and paused his game. "Say bye to Regina, she's leaving now."

Henry got onto his feet and tentatively stuck his hand out to touch Regina's arm. He didn't know why, but it felt so comfortable to be close to her, like he really needed to be. "It was nice spending time with you, Regina. Can I, uh, can I step by with my story when it's done?"

"I'd love that!" Regina's eyes shone and she didn't shy away from his touch. "I'm in apartment 4D."

He smiled and awkwardly returned to his seat on the floor, just as Ma reached a hand out and grabbed Regina's. It caused both of them to freeze for a second; probably surprised by the sudden contact, but Regina didn't push Ma's hand away, so he turned back to his game and fidgeted with the controller to stall for time.

Ma smiled shyly. "It's been really great today," she softly said; softer than he'd ever heard Ma speak before, "Maybe we can do it again sometime?"

A genuine smile came upon Regina's face, and Henry silently cheered this surprising friendship on. "Yes, that would be great. You know where I live, and I know where you live, so…" she paused and eyed Henry briefly, lips turning slightly downwards, "Just step by if you ever need anything, OK?"

"Will do," Ma replied and she pulled herself off the couch to follow Regina into the hallway.

Henry almost wanted to tiptoe after and listen, but he had a pretty good feeling that this wasn't going to be the last time that he saw Regina in his apartment or anywhere else. She was _great_ and it was pretty evident that Ma thought so, too. He smiled cheekily to himself and returned to his game.

* * *

A/N: I hope you liked Henry's point of view in the end here? It will make an appearance once in awhile, but mostly the story will be through Regina's eyes. I hope you liked this! We're back on track with Regina's plan! Please let me know what you thought, and I'll be back soon!


	6. Chapter Six: Picturing Me and You

**CHAPTER SIX – PICTURING ME AND YOU**

"Did you do it? Did you get it? Regina, tell me everything!"

Regina pulled the phone away from her ear, holding it at arm's length as Mary Margaret spewed question after question her way. She'd made the mistake of sending the other woman a text last night when she arrived home from Emma's – emotionally drained, but so very, very happy – to tell her that she'd managed to spend time with them and that she'd call her first thing tomorrow. She should have known that Mary Margaret would be too antsy to wait for her call, and now that Regina had finally had enough cups of horrendous instant coffee bought late last night from the corner kiosk, she was ready to get this thing over-with.

"Snow," she groaned and stared at the last drags of black liquid in her current cup. She was going to need one more. "You need to calm down. Ask me one question at a time, please." She stood up from her chair and emptied the cup as she made her way to the counter to pour hot water for a new one.

Mary Margaret sighed exasperatedly. "Did you get the _hairs_ , Regina?"

Of course. The _hairs._ Those were the most important thing according to their plan. Regina really had just not spent much time yesterday thinking about hairs. "I did not get the hairs, no," she replied as she sat back down with her coffee and missed her usual dash of milk. She smiled fondly at the memory from yesterday where Emma had just poured her that as if with muscle memory.

"But what did you do?" Mary Margaret was frowning on the other end, that was very clear.

David sighed heavily into the phone. "Calm down, Mary Margaret, she needs to take things slow, we agreed on this."

Mary Margaret said, "I should've come with, I _know_ I should have."

"You have a town to run," Regina replied and sipped her coffee with a happy smile. "Besides, I'm more than capable of doing this on my own, I just… I need to be delicate about this." She pinched the bridge of her nose and continued, "Look, I could get the hairs right away, but that wouldn't matter in the slightest, because I can't just pour the potion into another drink, they need to drink it as it is."

"You need to gain their trust then," David concluded.

Regina nodded even though there was no one present to see her do it. "Yes, and that's what I'm trying to do now. I spent all yesterday afternoon and evening in Emma's apartment. We already agreed that we would do it again sometime."

Mary Margaret butted in at that, "You spent so much time with them? How are they? Are they good? Do I really have another grandchild!?" Her voice almost reached shrill by the last question, and Regina could imagine David patting her comfortingly on the arm.

She thought of the beautiful baby girl Alba that she had had the pleasure of holding and babbling with; the lovable girl that was all Emma even though she barely looked like her, and whose grandparents were probably desperate to see her. Regina already cared for her too, it was pretty hard not to, no matter where she might come from besides Emma. Those stupid Charming genes worked really quite wonderfully in children, she had to admit. "You have a beautiful granddaughter actually," Regina revealed.

With a gasp, Mary Margaret continued, "Are you sure? Who's the father? I mean…" She stopped herself when it occurred to her that Regina was probably not too keen on talking about this.

But she was going to have to get used to it, because Alba was there, curse or no curse. "I don't _know_ , Snow," she snapped, "She doesn't appear to have a father, which is quite confusing. I thought maybe Emma and her girlfriend had her together, but she didn't really mention her yesterday, so…" she paused and stared angrily down at the black liquid in her cup, feeling tightness constrict around her heart, "I'll have to wait and learn more."

David silently whispered, "What's her name?"

"Alba," Regina quickly replied to him and smiled fondly at the thought, "her name's Alba." It was so weird how the child itself could elicit such caring and wonderful feelings inside of her when the mere thought of Alba's conception and how she came to be practically destroyed Regina's heart.

With a happy sigh, Mary Margaret spoke again, and there was tears in her voice as she did. "Alba… how wonderful."

With a chuckle, Regina said, "She's quite the charmer for sure. You'll love her."

Mary Margaret said, "Can you maybe get a picture for us? I know you want to take your time with the hairs and the potion, and that's fine, but…" she trailed off and her breathing was the only sound on the line for a few seconds, "It'd mean a lot to us to see a picture of our second grandchild. And we want to make sure that Emma's fine and see how much Henry's grown."

"Can you do that?" David asked for her, voice hopeful.

Regina wasn't as annoyed with David as she was with Snow at this point, so she agreed. "I'll do my best, okay? I'll try to get one the next time I see them." She paused, biting her lip. "I just don't know when that'll be OK? I can't act too eager, it'll scare Emma off."

"That's for sure!" David laughed into the phone.

"Now," Regina said and glanced at the watch on her wrist, "can you please tell Mulan to call me later, I have to get groceries before I wither away to nothing." She pushed her chair back and frowned down at her half-empty coffee cup. The instant coffee bought at the kiosk really lacked in all aspects. She'd hardly call it coffee, to be honest.

Mary Margaret said, "Yes, yes, of course. And Regina?"

"Yes? Snow?" Regina replied as she sat the cup down in the sink in her kitchen.

"We can't wait to have you all back home here," Mary Margaret softly whispered, "You of all people deserve to have happiness and I hope this will be the start of that."

Regina leaned herself against the counter and curtly said, "Thanks," before hanging up the phone. She really hoped this would be the start of that, too.

—-

Regina was going slowly out of her mind once two days passed and she hadn't seen Emma, Henry or Alba. She was trying to make up an excuse to go see them again – perhaps she should extend a coffee invitation to Emma to return the favour? Perhaps she should offer her to come see her new apartment? – but everything she came up with was stupid. Mulan told her not to worry about it, that it'd happen when it was supposed to, but that was easy for Mulan to say, because the woman she loved was for certain out of her reach – stuck in the Enchanted Forest with her husband and their baby, and Regina knew this, even if Mulan had never actually said so – but for Regina it was an entirely different story. Emma and Henry were _so close_. Her family was _so close._ Yet she could do nothing about it. All she could do was wait and wait and hope that she'd happen upon them or that there would be a reasonable excuse to make contact.

The potions sat on the mantle in her bedroom, taunting her every time she ventured in there, reminding her that she had so far to go, before she could – hopefully - grab her happy ending. It was frustrating, because she knew that just five floors up and two apartments down, she'd find that happiness. Some part of her even wanted to smash the damn potions; told her that she could also be happy like this. That if she could get Emma to fall for her now, like this, in New York, then she could get her family too, just in a different way entirely. But then she thought of Snow and David and all the other people who cared about Emma and Henry in Storybrooke and she knew she couldn't be so selfish. There was also the matter of Emma's current girlfriend to take into account. Surely, it'd be easier to get rid of her if Emma got her memories back.

A knock on her apartment door pulled Regina out of her thoughts and she closed her book – the book she'd been trying to read, but failing miserably – and placed it on the coffee table. She'd let no one into the building, which meant that only someone who had access themselves could be knocking, which meant that-

She crossed the floor quickly and pulled the door open to find Henry – _her son –_ smiling brightly at her with a raised fist, ready to knock again. "Henry," she breathlessly greeted and she was pretty sure the smile on her face was bigger than it had ever been.

Henry smiled goofily and dropped his hand. "Is now a bad time?"

"Now's the _perfect_ time," Regina replied and stepped aside to let the young teenager enter her apartment. "I'm sorry about the mess," she quickly apologised, "I'm still… getting settled."

Not minding at all, Henry took a seat on the couch and made himself right at home. "Nice place, Regina," he said, and Regina took a seat opposite him, on the old chair she'd bought at the store down the street, "Uh, before I forget," he pointed a finger to his head and dropped some papers that Regina had not noticed before onto the couch beside him, "Ma wanted me to invite you to a barbecue at our place on Saturday. We have a pretty big balcony, and grilling meat is actually something Ma's quite good at."

Regina smiled fondly at his jab at Emma; it appeared that that was how they navigated their relationship a lot. She didn't know why she'd perhaps thought it could be different; her magic could only do so much, and Emma and Henry had always been more like a team than parent and child. "I'd love to have a barbecue with you three," Regina eagerly said, trying to not appear too eager to spend her Saturday afternoon and evening with three supposed-to-be strangers.

"And Lily," Henry interjected with a tiny nod as his eyes fell back to the papers on her couch.

It felt like someone had taken a knife to Regina's chest and stabbed her. "Lily?" she practically choked on the word. _So the girlfriend has a name,_ she mused as her brown eyes trailed over Henry's nervous fingers on her couch. Of course _Lily_ would be joining the barbecue, it appeared to be a family-thing after all. _A family-thing including you,_ a voice told Regina inside of her head and it sounded remarkably like her Evil Queen-half. She schooled her features and said, voice slightly shaky, "Who's… Lily?"

Henry was fingering the paper, and he didn't dare meet her eyes. "Lily's Ma's…. friend? I guess?" He didn't sound so sure, and Regina wondered why that was. "She's cool though, she likes to hang with all of us. Ma doesn't have a lot of friends." He sighed and folded his hands in his lap as he finally looked at her.

"She doesn't?" Regina questioned.

Henry shrugged. "Nope." His frown turned into a smile though as he grabbed the papers from the couch and held them out for her, "Anyway, what I really came for was to give you this!"

Reaching out to carefully take the stack of papers, Regina eyed the first one and saw that it was a page written with a title on the top – _Regina Redeemed: An altered fairytale by Henry Swan –_ and carefully looked up at him. "What's this?" Her voice was breathless and she couldn't help the beat of her heart, thudding madly in her chest, quicker than normal, when she saw her own name written on the page.

With a sheepishly smile, Henry said, "I uh, it's my story, the one I told you about. My uh, my favourite." He paused, refusing to meet her eyes. "It's like my other stories, the altered fairytales. And I didn't really have a name for this character, so I couldn't finish it, but you uh…" he shrugged again, green eyes shining happily, "You inspired me, I guess."

Trailing her eyes over the first line, Regina read. _Once upon a time, there was a young woman named Regina. You might later have known her as the Evil Queen, but in this tale she's so much more than that. She's Regina, and she-_ Regina paused as realisation hit her. "Is this supposed to be the Evil Queen from _Snow White and the Seven Dwarves?_ " The name of the fairytale almost got stuck in her throat, because she loathed that it was about Snow and her insipid love story, and she loathed even more how it made her out to be a shallow, old hag.

"Yeah," Henry nodded eagerly, "good guess! But I don't care much for the story of Snow White, I'm more interested in hers," he flicked the paper, " _Regina's._ "

It was hard to blink away the tears in her eyes so he wouldn't notice, because his eager eyes were watching her carefully for any reaction to his words at all. "That's a really good… idea, Henry," she finally managed to squeeze out between her lips, trying to hold back the tremble in her voice.

Henry looked like she'd just given him a million dollars. "Yeah? I'm so glad! I like to explore the other characters, you know? The ones that most people don't care about. But I do, I care about them a lot."

She reached a hand across the space between them and grabbed his tightly in a squeeze. "I'm glad," she honestly whispered, reluctantly dropping his hand again, "Those are the more interesting stories to tell anyway."

He smiled at her; happy but shy, her perfect boy. "So you'll read it?"

"I can't wait," Regina honestly replied, and she carefully placed the small stack of papers on the coffee table next to her book. Now she knew what she was going to read instead of her new Scandinavian crime. Henry's was going to be infinitely more interesting. "So… do you want anything to drink? I have root beer."

"Sure!" Henry nodded eagerly, and Regina slipped across the small apartment to grab a root beer in the fridge. She tapped it open for him and made sure to pick a coaster, before she returned to the couch. She didn't know why, but she was suddenly feeling a little nervous, jittery – perhaps it was because this was the first time she was truly alone with her son in more than a year – and she tried not to let it show too much as she watched him take a sip of the beverage.

She crossed her legs awkwardly in front of her. "So should I bring something on Saturday?" She thought maybe she could make a salad or something, at least to contribute. Emma was probably going to be busy with Alba and prepping meats, so she really felt like she ought to do the greens. _Then we'll certainly get greens,_ Regina inwardly told herself.

Henry shrugged. "A salad?"

 _That's my boy._ "Great, I'll do that." Regina watched him happily as he took another sip of his root beer and looked curiously around the apartment. It was sparsely decorated, only with the necessities, and Regina doubted she'd ever get the time or desire to decorate more. She just wanted to be able to function until she finally awoke her family and could _live._

"So uh…" Henry wiped the palm of his hand against his thigh. "Ma says you have a son?"

Regina stared at him, suddenly stiff in her seat. _Goodness,_ she was not prepared for this conversation at all. It was going to be painful, but his big curious eyes made her want to tell him everything. "I do," she said and reached awkwardly for the glass of water that had been sitting so long on the coffee table that it was no longer cold. "He's about your age actually." She took a long gulp and swallowed loudly.

Henry furrowed his brow. "So where's he now?"

"He lives with his other mother," Regina told him and placed the glass back onto the coaster on the table. "I'm… trying to get him back to live with me. Some things happened, so it's a bit of a process." She stared at her blunt fingernails for a second, before meeting his gaze.

He bit his lip. "Cool."

Regina felt herself relax slightly. "And what about you?"

"Me?"

"What about your father?" Regina questioned, before flinching briefly and adding, "Or other mother?"

Henry shrugged again, one of his habits that had only grown more dominant in the year she had missed. She wondered what other things had changed for him; it appeared he was still obsessed with comic books and writing, and that he still had a strong belief in fairytales. But it seemed like he also had friends, _more_ friends than he had ever been able to get in Storybrooke with first being the strict mayor's son and second being the Evil Queen's son. "I don't have another parent. I had a dad, I guess, but Ma doesn't talk about him. Says he was a dirtbag who let her go down for his crime." He paused, eyes averted and lips slightly downturned, "She had me in prison, did she tell you that? But after she got out we started in a home and then she worked really hard to get me a good life, I think."

Regina felt her heart break slightly at that story; it might not have been what really happened, but it could have been their story if Emma had decided not to give Henry up for adoption. In the real story it was perhaps even sadder, because after Emma had gotten out she had been all alone and continued to live in her car before getting herself straightened out. "Your mother is a very remarkable woman," Regina told him next, and it was the honest to God truth – she'd never met anyone more remarkable than Emma Swan.

A small smile appeared on his lips at that. "Yeah, I guess she's pretty cool…" He paused briefly, before continuing, "Anyway! So I don't have a dad or mom, it's just Ma."

"And what about Alba?" Regina heard herself question. She was a bit embarrassed with herself for questioning Henry like this, but this was a special situation, so special measures had to be taken. She needed to know these things – if not just for herself, then surely for the case of getting them back home, yes? – and Henry was willing to share with her. It would perhaps take a lot longer if she wanted Emma to tell her all of these things.

Henry's eyes were glistening slightly, almost as if he had figured her out, as if he knew that she was grilling him unashamedly for facts about his mother. She could only imagine what reasons for that he was making up in his mind. "Ma got inseminated," he flatly told her, and Regina swore it felt like a huge burden was lifted off her shoulders at that, "She asked me how I would feel about a baby brother or sister, I said 'cool', Ma found a donor and Alba was conceived on the first try." He paused, a giant smile coming onto his face at the mentioning of his sister. "It was like it was meant to be."

Regina nodded as she reached for her water glass once more. So Alba was the product of an _insemination._ She didn't know what was most important; the fact that Emma had _not_ slept with someone at the beginning of the curse, that she did not have a partner of any kind to make Alba, or the fact that Regina's own magic had somehow manifested a giant wish inside of Emma to have another kid. It was strange, because she was usually so in control of her magic and what it translated itself into, but of course there was a lot of haywire emotions that day at the townline, and perhaps she'd somehow translated her own old memories and desires to have a baby to Emma as well. It was honestly the only thing that made a little bit sense to her, even though it was still frighteningly lacking in sense.

"Anyway," Henry placed his empty can of root beer on the table and stood up, "I better get going, I'm meeting my friend Troy. But I'll see you on Saturday?" He looked so hopeful at that, like he really wanted her to come.

Regina nodded. "Yes, you most certainly will."

"Ma said to tell you to come by whenever," Henry added, before he offered her an awkward wave and let himself out of the apartment.

Regina reached for his discarded story immediately and got comfortable in her chair.

—

She was very nervous when she finally knocked on the door to the Swan apartment the following Saturday. She had a mixed salad tucked beneath one arm and a bag with a bottle of wine – she knew Emma couldn't have any, but she was certain that she was going to need it herself if she had to spend time with this… Lily-person – as well as some of the stewed apples she used to make for Henry when he was a baby, all dispensed neatly into meal-sized jars for Alba. She didn't know why she'd had the desire to do so, but she'd spent all yesterday afternoon making a batch of it using the biggest pot she had.

It was Henry who opened the door, and he did so with his trademark smile, and Regina felt herself melt. "Regina!" he greeted, letting her past him into the apartment, "My favourite neighbour from the fourth floor."

Regina tittered, "What a charmer you are."

Henry waved at her to follow him, "Come on, Ma and Lily's already out on the balcony with Alba." He went down the hallway and through the kitchen where the sliding door was open, and Regina could hear Emma laughing loudly from outside.

She rapped her knuckles against the glass. "Hello," she greeted, and Emma turned to her with a huge smile. _God,_ it was good to see her. It felt like it was far too long ago that she'd spent that afternoon with her. Was it possible that she had grown even more beautiful since the last time? Regina was sure it was.

"Regina," Emma reached her spare arm out – the one that was not holding Alba – and pulled Regina down for a halfway hug, cheeks pressed together, and Regina felt her heartbeat speed up. "This is Lily," she introduced when they pulled apart, and Regina turned to find a brunette woman offering her an awkward wave.

Lily said, "Hi, it's great to meet you. Em's already told me so much about you." She took a sip of the beer in her hand and raised her eyes to the faint sunlight.

Regina wished she could say likewise, but Emma had told her absolutely nothing about Lily, only Henry had bothered to, so she said nothing and took a seat on the bench next to Henry. "It appears that we're lucky with the weather today."

"I think it's one of the last days this autumn where we can do this," Emma agreed and watched as Regina sat the salad onto the table. "Henry, maybe you can put that in the fridge for Regina?"

Henry jumped off his seat and rushed to follow his mother's orders, but Regina stopped him with a hand on his arm. "You should fridge the jars, too," she told him and held out her bag for him.

Emma peeked curiously into the bag, "Jars?" She reached and grabbed one, green eyes scanning the small label that held Regina's neat writing: _Stewed apples._ "Is this for Alba?" She questioned as she turned to meet Regina's eyes.

With a nod, Regina said, "I had some time yesterday, and I know you're switching to solid food, so I just made the mash my son used to love the most." Her eyes trailed slightly to Henry at that, and she let her hands rest in her lap, willing herself to calm down. It was not weird, it was not weird. It was very sweet of her to do that.

"You're too sweet," Emma mused, and it looked like she was thoroughly touched. The smile she gave Regina at that? It made her feel like she was floating.

Henry looked at one of the jars too, his brow furrowed as he studied it. Regina wasn't able to tell what that look meant, but he turned to her and said, "I'm sure she'll love that," before he went into the kitchen to store away all of the food.

Lily eyed her strangely. "So Regina, where did you say you were from again?"

Regina offered her a glare right back. "A small town in Maine," she explained as she reached for one of the water glasses on the table and poured herself some from the pitcher. She told herself she needed to be open to this Lily-person, someone who was evidently important to Emma and Henry, but it was hard when she was looking at her like that. And she seemed entirely too cosy in the Swan apartment for Regina's liking.

"Hm," Lily simply replied and took another sip of her beer.

Just then Alba started fussing suddenly on Emma's lap, and the two women both turned to look at her. Her small sounds of "Bah bah bah," had turned into more of a cry, and she was flailing both arms, determinedly hammering her small fists into Emma's stomach.

"Whoa kid, who's got you so pissed off," Emma joked as she tried calm her kid by bobbing her knee up and down. Alba just wailed even more, tears streaming down her face as she cried, and Emma immediately stopped and clutched the baby into her arms. "My sweet baby," she whispered as she pressed a kiss to the side of Alba's head and cradled her tightly. "What's wrong?" She turned to look at Regina and Lily who were both just watching helplessly, "I'm just gonna go inside for a sec., OK? Just stay put."

Lily watched Emma leave with a quizzical expression. "Alba's usually not such a fussy baby."

"Maybe she's teething," Regina wondered – more to herself than to Lily at this point - and she watched Emma pace around in the living room with Alba, and Henry, who appeared to be done storing the fridge, stopped next to them to help the best way he could.

"So, Emma seems to like you a lot," Lily commented and pulled Regina out of her thoughts, and she turned to look at her again, even though she did not want to turn her back on Emma and the fussing child inside of the apartment. Lily was watching her with careful eyes, her lips upturned slightly. "Henry too," she added, when she finally had Regina's full attention.

Regina swallowed loudly and took a sip of the cold water. "Yes. And I quite like them. They were a nice surprise with the move here, since I don't know anyone in New York."

Lily nodded, eyes turning to small slits; whether she was shielding them from the sun or just regarding her carefully, Regina wasn't sure, but it definitely made her look suspicious. "I bet," she replied and took yet another drag of her beer.

Telling herself to try to play nice – even if Lily's attitude was already grating her nerves a great deal – Regina leaned back in her seat and said. "So have you known Emma for a long time?"

"We knew each other when we were teenagers," Lily replied, and there was an almost smug smile on her face, "She was sort of my first love. I had a giant crush on her." She paused, fingers fiddling with the tap on the can, eyes trained on it, "But we recently met each other again when she was expecting Alba. We've reconnected since."

Regina watched her carefully, trying to determine whether or not Lily was telling the truth. She'd _known_ Emma when they were younger? And they'd been… together? Emma had never mentioned any other past lovers except Neal – Regina's heart almost skipped a beat at the reminder of Henry's father, who'd so valiantly sacrificed himself so she could get back to them – so it was quite likely that she could have known Lily beforehand. But it was kind of weird how she'd end up meeting her again in her cursed form, and they'd just… start right back up. Regina felt her jaw clench at the thought. She knew she couldn't blame Emma for looking for love when she was cursed to believe she'd been single for so long, but it still pained her. "That's… wonderful," she forced out between her gritted teeth, brown eyes coming to rest on the water glass in her hand.

Lily bobbed her head. "Yes, I think so. And her kids are the best, aren't they?"

"They really are," Regina gave a curt nod and took a sip of her water.

Henry's head popped around the corner of the door. "Lily, Ma asks if you can get started on the grill? And uh," he paused, green eyes landing on Regina with a sheepish smile, "Regina, do you maybe wanna go to keep her company inside? I can help Lily."

Regina wasn't sure what Henry was up to, or if he even knew what he was doing, but she took the opportunity for what it was and quickly placed her glass on the table. "Sure Henry," she replied and brushed past him into the apartment. Emma was not in sight, but she could hear Alba's cries coming from somewhere – probably the nursery – so she followed the sound and found herself inside a small room, painted a faint yellow, and with Emma walking in a tiny circle as she cradled Alba's head. "Do you need help?" she asked, and Emma's relieved eyes met hers.

"Gosh, just take her for a second, please," Emma tiredly whispered and transferred Alba easily, trustingly, into Regina's arms. "My arms are so tired right now," she breathed and took a seat in the rocking chair by the window.

Regina cradled Alba carefully, pressing her nose into the black hair that smelled so wonderfully of baby. "What's wrong, my little one," she murmured and kissed her hair as she swayed from side to side. "You're not warm," she concluded, "you're just tiring your Mamma out, aren't you? She needs a break, you know," she gently cooed into her ear as her eyes met Emma's grateful ones.

The blonde was watching her happily from the chair, tired and worn-out, but with a huge smile on her face that went all the way into her eyes. She looked contend, pleased, and she breathed out heavily. "You really are the baby-whisperer," she murmured as Alba slowly started calming down, her cries growing less and less as Regina swayed her.

"I think maybe she's teething," Regina murmured back, stepping closer to Emma so she could glance down at her – the woman she loved – with soft eyes. "I remember He- when my son was teething," she corrected herself, Henry's name swallowed into nothing in her throat, "Don't you remember when Henry was teething?"

Emma furrowed her brow, a contemplative look in her eyes as she tried to recall it. "I think maybe I gave him something cold to chew on?" It was formed as a question, and Regina knew it was because her memories were not her own and that Emma wasn't sure she was even remembering it correctly.

Regina nodded, "Yes. Either some toy that's slightly cold or some cold mashed foods. You could try the stewed apples I made. I bet they'll make her feel better." She let her free hand drop to rest gently on Emma's shoulder, just wanting to give it a reassuring squeeze, but she was surprised when Emma's hand moved up to cover hers and stayed there.

Green eyes swept up to meet brown, and Regina found herself entirely caught in Emma's gaze. She was _certain_ that she was not the only one who felt their connection – the very real connection between them – but that to Emma that connection was strange and weird and hard to pin-point, because she did not _know_ Regina. Regina could only hope that Emma was going to let it happen anyway, that she wasn't going to be too afraid to embrace it. It was hard though, because they'd both been afraid the first time around, and it had taken a trip to Neverland and almost losing Henry for them to admit that _there was something there._ "Regina," she whispered, "I'm really glad I've met you."

She was pretty sure that her cheeks were flushing pink, so she buried her nose back in Alba's hair, "Likewise," she murmured, and it was almost overshadowed by the girl's small hiccups of displeasure. She pulled her hand away from Emma's shoulder – not wanting to push her luck – and focused on something else entirely. Her eyes settled on the mobile above the crib. "Is that _horses?_ " She felt her mouth fall slightly open, surprised by the four-legged creatures moving above the crib.

Emma chuckled, "Yeah, and don't ask me why. I don't even like horses, but it just called to me."

"I love horses," Regina whispered and reached her spare hand out, touching the colourful plastic that Alba spent time staring up at every day. It warmed her heart, that she was _there,_ in some capacity, that she always had been somehow. In the smaller things. "You know, if you ever need a break to do something for yourself," she suddenly said, turning back to look at Emma with a soft smile, "or just… sleep… I'll happily watch Alba. Henry, too. I don't mind."

There was a slightly chuckle on Emma's lips. "You're unreal," she said, fond. She stood up from the seat then and leaned forward, pressing a short kiss to Regina's cheek. "Thank you. I'll remember that."

"Every mother needs a break sometimes," Regina replied, relishing the lingering feeling of Emma's chapped lips pressing against her skin. "Shall we try the cold stewed apples?"

Emma laughed and they returned to the balcony where Henry and Lily had gotten the grill started, the smell of coal and fire reaching Regina's nostrils. Henry looked pleased with himself as he poked the coals, and Lily stared at Regina as she took a seat on the bench with Alba in her lap. Emma, who had gotten the stewed apples on the way, opened the jar and carefully scooped a spoonful out for Alba to try. It calmed her immediately, the coldness of the apples, and Emma looked so relieved.

It was a wonderful evening – despite the fact that Regina would have rather it had only been her and Emma and the kids – and it seemed like everyone else enjoyed themselves as well. Alba slept soundly in her crib while they ate, and Regina had to admit that Emma did know how to barbecue her meats. Lily wasn't half bad either; Regina could see why Emma liked her and was with her, she was great with Henry, telling jokes and teasing him, and they both had a love for comic books and superheroes. But it kind of worked out alright in Regina's mind – even though she'd love to talk more to Henry – the fact that Lily occupied his time tonight meant that she had a lot of opportunities to just talk to Emma. She'd soon enough get to speak to Henry again. She'd already finished reading his story and she planned on stopping by sometime next week to give it back to him, notes and post-its and all.

Once the table was cleared, Alba was awake again, and they all huddled closer outside, finding blankets and coats, and Henry made s'mores on the remains of the grill, melting marshmallows and smashing them between biscuits. He made Regina try one, even though she objected heavily, but she couldn't stop herself with his cute smile and the way he was so eager to share something with her. It was _wonderful_. Being close to him and sharing something with him again was absolutely wonderful, her son, her little prince, and don't even get her started on Emma. Every time their hands brushed a surge of fire would run through her, chills would go down her spine, and she was feeling a little flushed throughout, not only because of the three glasses of wine she had had. Being close to Emma was intoxicating in a way she had never let herself feel before – she hadn't had the time to feel intoxicated this way, because after she had finally admitted to herself that there was _something there_ she had lost Emma soon after.

Regina was reluctant to leave, and she still needed that damn picture she had promised Mary Margaret. She didn't want to be too awkward about it, but she simply just had to ask them. Lily was yawning; she'd been up early for work, and she had to get up early the next day as well, so when she said that she'd have to cut the evening short, Regina saw it as an opportunity.

"Actually," she glanced at Lily and held out her phone, "would you mind taking a picture of all of us for me? I promised some friends back home that I'd show them my new friends in New York and…" she trailed off and smiled apologetically at Emma, "If it's too weird, then just forget I asked, it's just because-"

Emma chuckled and waved her off. "Hey, calm down, Regina! You don't need to make excuses. Of course we'll take a picture with you." She turned to Lily and pulled Regina's phone from Regina's hand to push it into Lily's. "You don't mind, do you, Lily?"

With a frown, Lily stood up from her chair. "Of course not," she sighed and flicked the camera open. "Huddle together, all of you."

Regina could see that Lily was not pleased with these turn of events – but of course she wouldn't be, if the person she was dating was taking family-like pictures with someone else, Regina was sure she'd be displeased herself as well – but she savoured the feeling of sitting squished between Emma and Henry on the small bench. Alba was perched on Emma's lap, grinning happily, but tiredly, in her green jumper and brown rompers, and Henry's arm was tucked around Regina's shoulder. It felt nice. It felt comfortable. It felt like _family_.

"There," Lily forced a strained smile as she handed Regina back her phone. "Anyways, call me tomorrow, Swannie, yeah? I get off at two." She pressed a kiss to Emma's cheek, lingering for a second too long in Regina's opinion, before hugging Henry and kissing Alba's hair. "Nice to meet you, Regina. I bet we'll see each other again soon enough."

Forcing a smile out herself, Regina said, "I bet we will."

With an awkward nod of her head, Lily left the balcony and not soon after they heard the apartment door smack close behind her. Henry immediately switched to one of the chairs and kicked back, a huge grin on his boyish face. "Do you need me to put Alba to bed, Ma?"

"Do you mind?" Emma asked, and when Henry shook his head, she held the baby out and he took her happily, squishing her body to his and carrying her carefully into the apartment. Emma watched them go for a second – Regina too – before she snapped her fingers and said, "Gimme that phone, I wanna see the picture."

With a throaty chuckle, Regina handed her the phone, and she relished the fact that Emma had not moved away from her seat on the bench, even if there was now to spare chairs and no one else to occupy them. Emma seemed content at her side, shoulder pressed to hers and with a blanket covering both of their laps. "Impatient, are we, Miss Swan?" she said with a teasing lilt.

Emma's green eyes shone as she briefly stared at her, before they settled on the picture on Regina's screen. "Oh," she whispered, and one finger traced gently across their face, a smile edging its way onto her lips. "We look… great." She paused, and there was a swallow so loud that Regina could clearly hear it. "Almost like…" the last word was hidden beneath her breath, but Regina knew what she wanted her to have said.

 _Almost like family. Like family._

She nodded, her own fingers settling slightly over Emma's as she cradled the phone too. "You have an amazing family, Emma," she whispered, and the desire to lean her head against Emma's shoulder had never been bigger.

Tilting her head to the side, Emma's nose brushed gently against Regina's temple as she moved. "Yeah?" She paused, green eyes cast downwards to meet Regina's flickering gaze. "Sometimes it feels like there's really missing something, y'know? Like… there's this huge hole inside of me that I just don't know how to fill. But for some reason it becomes a little less, when..." She stopped herself, eyes once more falling to the picture on the phone.

"A hole?" Regina breathlessly queried, her eyes moving on their own accord to Emma's lips, trailing there without her consent. Oh goodness, she wanted to taste them so bad, to feel Emma's lips on hers, her tongue in her mouth and her breath on her lips.

Emma sighed and let the phone drop back into Regina's lap, pulling slightly back with a clouded look on her face. "It's… probably just me," she breathed, and Regina knew her well enough to know that that was honestly not how she felt, that there was something nagging her, something there, but that she had no words for it, and probably wasn't sure if she should tell her or not.

Regina wanted to say so many things, wanted to tell her that no, it wasn't just her, that she was right in feeling that something was off, that this wasn't her, that her life could be _so much more._ But she didn't know how, she didn't know the words, because how do you even begin to explain something like their story when Emma didn't even know her? She looked up when Henry came back onto the balcony, cardboard box tucked neatly beneath his arm. "Hey, do you guys wanna play _The Game of Life_?"

With a chuckle, Emma pointed towards the chair next to her. "Sure Kid, take a seat and let me beat your ass."

Regina chuckled along with them both and sipped her wine as she beat both Henry and Emma's asses.

* * *

A/N: I hope you guys liked this chapter! I'm having so much fun with this story, and we're definitely moving forward from now on. It's always lovely to hear what you think, so please do leave a comment, thanks x


	7. Chapter Seven: Hold the Phone

A/N: The first part of this chapter does not contain either Regina or Emma – but it does revolve around them though. The second part however? That's all our two favourite ladies.

* * *

 **CHAPTER SEVEN – HOLD THE PHONE**

Strolling into Granny's, Mary Margaret greeted three of her best friends as she sat down in the booth that they had saved for them. It was a new thing they had decided to do with this curse – her, Ruby, Belle and Mulan – all for different reasons, but because they definitely needed something to occupy themselves with.

Mary Margaret needed something to do – other than run this town, honestly, she couldn't figure out how Regina had done it so smoothly for 28 years – to distract herself from the fact that her daughter was miles away, cursed not to remember her, after she'd had _so little_ time with her. Of course she believed that it was going to be okay, and that she would have Emma again soon enough, but it was hard to keep faith at this dark time when everything was happening in New York and she had no way to help.

Thankfully she had her friends to keep her distracted. They needed distractions too. Mulan was settling down in this new land, which thankfully she seemed to enjoy quite much, but she didn't know a lot of people, so Mary Margaret had made it her mission to introduce Mulan to her friends. Belle was getting over the loss of Rumpel; she'd spent most of the time in the Enchanted Forest in constant heartbreak, but it appeared that she had decided to start anew once they returned to Storybrooke; she smiled more, laughed more, and opening up the library again had definitely done her some good. The only one Mary Margaret couldn't figure out what was going on with was Ruby. The werewolf had been by their side throughout the year in the Enchanted Forest, but now that they had returned she seemed glum, concerned, such a far stretch from the smiling girl she usually was.

"Snow," Ruby said as Mary Margaret took a seat next to her. A coffee cup was pushed in front of her immediately. "Good morning."

Belle smiled at her in greeting, "Your usual is on its way. We went ahead and ordered."

Mary Margaret said, "Thank you," as she reached for her coffee and took the first sip of the day.

"Have you heard from Regina?" Mulan asked her at that, brown eyes trailing carefully over Mary Margaret's face. She couldn't quite get a handle on this friendship that Regina and Mulan had build during the last months in the Enchanted Forest – after their trip to the Dark One's castle – but Mulan was honestly concerned for Regina in a way that few people had ever been. It pleased Mary Margaret to know this.

Pulling her phone out of her pocket, Mary Margaret shook her head. "Not yet, but I suspect she'll text me any time now. She was with Emma all yesterday."

Ruby wrapped her hands around her mug. "It's crazy about the kid, huh?"

Mary Margaret hummed in agreement, and Belle said, "I just can't seem to get it to add up…" she trailed off, twirling her spoon around in her cup of tea, "I mean. Why would Emma get pregnant _right after_ going to New York?"

"Regina has her theories, but it all sounds very ominous to me," Mary Margaret nodded her head in agreement, smiling warmly at one of the waitresses who came to put their breakfast orders onto the table, "Thank you," she murmured, before turning back to her friends, "Emma never expressed any desire to have another kid, let alone right now, so why would this cursed version of her want to?"

Nodding her head as well, Ruby said, "Yeah, she never said anything about kids to me…" she trailed off, her eyes going slightly bigger than usual, before adding, with a shrug, "but then again, she never said she was into girls or… well, said anything about her and Regina either, so what do I know?" She frowned as she lifted the mug to her lips, taking a long drag of it.

Mary Margaret watched her, a contemplative look in her eyes. "Well, I don't think," she cut herself off, pausing, "I don't think they told anyone that there was something going on? I mean, that _kiss_ at the townline. I was so surprised!"

"Me too," Belle agreed, as she cut a piece of french toast with a knife and slipped it into her mouth.

"But the girls thing?" Ruby questioned, voice cracking slightly at the word 'girls'. "She ever… told any of you about that?"

Belle shook her head, "No," she murmured, "I guess I always _thought_ that she was bisexual, but she never talked much about her past relationships except Neal, and…" she trailed off, eyes glazing slightly over at the mentioning of her dead love's equally dead son.

Digging into her stack of pancakes, Mary Margaret said, "No, she never said anything, not even when we were _just friends_ …"

"You were just friends?" Mulan questioned, breaking into the conversation suddenly as she nibbled on a piece of melon.

Nodding eagerly, Mary Margaret rushed to explain, "Yes! I forget you don't know everything, but we found each other as friends pretty quickly when Emma first got here. God, we talked about _everything,_ " she paused, eyebrows knitting together, "I mean, even things that mothers and daughters probably shouldn't talk about, you know? I mean, I talked to her about that time I hooked up with _Whale_."

Ruby made a face, "Yeah, that's disturbing. For more reasons than one," she slipped a piece of pancake into her mouth, dripping with syrup.

"I guess I thought she might like girls…" Mary Margaret recalled, as she tried to remember how she'd first perceived Emma when she showed up in Storybrooke; dressed in jeans, plaid and red pleather. Attractive with muscle, and a bit jaded. She turned to look at Ruby, "I mean for a while there, I actually thought she might have taken a fancy to you, Red, but _you're not into girls,_ so."

A faint blush rose across Ruby's cheeks and she dug her head to focus on her pancakes. "Nah…"

Mulan eyed her carefully. "When I met Regina it was pretty clear to me just how much Emma means to her."

Mary Margaret nodded, "It was clear to me back in the Enchanted Forest as well. Clear as day." She almost jumped out of her seat when her phone pinged loudly next to her and Regina's name appeared on the screen. All eyes turned to the phone and Ruby let out a tiny squeal as Mary Margaret quickly wiped her hands off in her napkin and picked up the phone. She unlocked it with a beating heart, almost unbelieving in the fact that she was going to _see a picture_ of Emma and Henry after such a long time. Oh, Henry had probably grown _so much._ And gosh, her granddaughter. Her granddaughter! She clicked on the message from Regina with the caption: _Barbecue at the Swan apartment,_ before her eyes landed on the picture attached.

With a shaking thumb, she pressed the picture and it opened to take up her entire screen. Her breath hitched in her throat as her eyes immediately settled on her daughter; her beautiful, amazing and brave daughter, who was smiling brightly, happily, looking so much like herself, except – she didn't at all have that constantly troubled and worried look in her eyes, and gosh – was that _Henry_!? He must've grown so many inches in the past year; he looked more and more like a teenager and not a kid anymore, and was that… Mary Margaret's eyes stopped on the baby seated on Emma's lap.

Her _granddaughter._

"Oh," Mary Margaret's breath hitched in her throat and she felt the tears well up in her eyes as she stared at the baby girl in her daughter's arms. Emma had a _baby_ and she wasn't even there to be a part of the pregnancy or the birth. This was the second grandchild she was cheated out of, and gosh, she hated it. But her daughter made such beautiful babies… Mary Margaret wiped away a tear with the back of her hand as she took in Alba. The girl didn't look much like Emma at all, but there were few recognisable attributes. She definitely saw the resemblance, even if it wasn't clear in her appearance.

Ruby snapped her fingers next to her, getting impatient. "Uh, hello Snow, can the rest of us see!? I wanna see!" She whined the last part, and Snow let out a breathy chuckle as she placed the phone down in the middle of the table and all four of them leaned over to look at it simultaneously.

Belle's voice was gushy and breathy as she said, "Oh my God, she's cute…"

"And look how happy Emma looks!" Ruby agreed, bobbing her head as she stared down at the phone. "Regina even looks happy to be where she is in that photo."

Mary Margaret sighed. "Yes, even if it's not exactly what she wants, I think she takes everything she can get…" she trailed off, not able to tear her eyes away from Alba's little face. She was the cutest, dressed in a sweater and rompers, and Mary Margaret immediately thought of so many things she wanted to knit for her, including the most adorable little beanie for the upcoming winter.

"She doesn't look much like Emma though, does she?" Belle tilted her head to the side, her thick accent dropping slightly as she said Emma's name.

Shaking her head in agreement, Mary Margaret said, "No, Regina said that actually. She must look a lot like the donor."

Ruby frowned, eyebrows knitting together, "Hm," she murmured, eyes flickering slightly as she leaned even further forward, using two fingers to zoom in on the picture.

"What?" Mary Margaret questioned, eyeing her best friend.

Tilting her head firs to the right, then to the left, Ruby whispered, "It's probably just me, but…"

Mulan spoke at that, finally saying something, "She looks like her, doesn't she? I saw that right away."

Heartbeat speeding up again, Mary Margaret eyed Mulan with round eyes. "Looks like who?" she wanted to know, staring right back down at the picture on the table. Her grandchild was _beautiful_ and that was the only thing that mattered to her. She would have been beautiful in Mary Margaret's eyes no matter what, simply because she was Emma's.

"Regina." Ruby clarified as she tapped her finger against the screen, drawing their attention to Regina's smiling face as she sat there, squeezed between Emma and Henry on a bench. "I mean, if I didn't _know_ Emma gave birth to her… I would have thought that that kid was Regina's."

With a gasp, Mary Margaret's eyes settled back onto the picture, trailing from Alba to Regina and back to Alba again. _They were right._ Regina's hair, Regina's face, even Regina's brown eyes. Mary Margaret swallowed the lump in her throat, not sure if she was seeing things correctly or just making things up in her head. It could be a coincidence. Right? There were probably plenty of men who looked a bit like Regina who had donated semen, and what were the odds that Emma would choose one of theirs? They were probably okay. But as Mary Margaret stared down at the picture, she knew it wasn't like that. "Is that even possible?" she questioned, and her eyes turned to look at Belle, their go-to person for history and stories and all things magical written in books.

Belle looked down at the picture, lips curled slightly. "I'm not sure…" she paused, meeting Mary Margaret's eyes. "I mean, I guess anything's really possible, right? They both have such _strong_ magic, and…"

"Have you ever heard of such a thing before?" Mulan softly questioned, brown eyes turning to Belle quizzically.

Shaking her head, Belle said, " _No_ , but… that doesn't mean it's not possible." She jutted her jaw out, determinedly, "I'll have to do more research on that. Did they…" she averted her eyes, not wanting to look at Mary Margaret as she said the next thing, "you know… _sleep together_?"

Mary Margaret pulled back slightly, her smile fading as the other three women looked at her. Sure, she knew that logically when people were in love they slept together, but she did _not_ want to, ever, think about her once stepmother and her daughter engage in such activities, love or not. She frowned. "I don't know…" she swallowed, forcing herself to continue, "I mean, I guess I sort of always thought that that kiss at the townline was _their first kiss,_ like, you know… a parting kiss because it was the last opportunity that Regina had, you know?"

Ruby nodded her head in agreement, "I thought so too."

"Maybe not?" Mulan said, "Regina never really talked about that with me."

Belle stared back down at the photo. "Well, firstly I'll have to do some reading, see if it's even possible, and then… then we'll have to figure out if they _did,_ " she glanced apologetically at Mary Margaret before she murmured, "…sleep together."

Mulan placed a comforting hand on Belle's back, "No word to Regina though, right? We can't let her know, not unless we're sure it's actually possible."

Mary Margaret said, "No. Such news would make her _so happy,_ so we have to be sure."

Belle reached for her half-eaten french toast and quickly stuffed her mouth. "I'm off to the library," she said, downing her tea as well as she tried to sidestep Mulan to get out of the booth.

With a soft smile, Mulan reached a hand out and gently touched Belle's arm, "Mind if I come with you? I can read as well if you tell me what to look for."

With a soft smile, Belle nodded, and the two of them left the diner, Mulan's hand on the small of Belle's back as she guided the young woman through the door. Mary Margaret fell into the abandoned side of their booth and found Ruby grinning wolfishly at her, an arched eyebrow in the direction of the door. "You see what I'm seeing?" was her question.

Mary Margaret reached for her phone and placed it gently next to her. "Good for Mulan. If Belle will feel the same."

Ruby lowly pondered, "I bet she will…" as she reached for her mug and raised it to her lips. "So how does it feel to know that Regina might be your daughter-in-law someday?" She stuck her tongue out with a tease.

Mary Margaret picked a crumbled up napkin and threw it at her, "Oh, will you be quiet, Red," she retorted, but she couldn't quite hide her smile.

—

Emma couldn't put her finger on what it was with Regina, but there was definitely something _there._ It was hard to describe – she tried to explain it to Lily just yesterday on the other woman's lunch break, but she had not been able to properly convey her thoughts – Regina made her feel… safe. It was weird, it was a feeling that Emma had never experienced before with another human being, but safe was probably the only word she could put on it.

And comfortable, too. Like sitting down with a really old friend with whom you had shared many experiences and just.. sitting. Not doing anything. Familiar was a word to describe it, too. Comforted had also crossed through Emma's mind this morning in the shower when she'd, once more, found herself in thoughts of her new friend. Regina was a comforting presence in her life; like Emma knew that everything was going to be okay when she had her to rely on.

It confused her, honestly. She hardly knew Regina, yet all these feelings and emotions were ruminating inside of her; she should probably be more freaked out than she was, but she couldn't find it in herself, not even with all the walls she usually had up. It was as if Regina didn't need to spend time time tearing them down because she already had. Which made no sense, because Emma had only hung out with her on two separate occasions.

Lily had seemed suspicious of Regina's sudden interest in Emma and the kids ("Like Em, who _connects_ with another person's kids so quickly?"; "You did, Lily, you did!"), and Emma couldn't really tell whether it was just Lily's old habits dying hard, or if there was other emotions at play after all. She'd promised Lily to go out for drinks on Friday – pumping and dumping was a thing, she'd heard – and it was something they'd never before been able to do as friends, because first Emma had been pregnant and second she'd had an infant and no one to babysit. But Regina had pretty much told her that she could babysit anytime, so when Lily had said she wanted to treat Emma, who was she do deny her?

She was looking forward to it, she really was, but truth be told she was probably looking more forward to what she was going to do this afternoon – which was hanging out with Regina. Henry was at an after school activity – she couldn't remember if it was art or writing this time – and afterwards he was going to Troy's for dinner, and she and Alba were waiting on a bench for Regina in Central Park. Alba was sleeping soundly in her stroller, packed in plenty of layers and making the cutest little fist around her spare pacifier, and Emma herself was rolling the stroller back and forth with one hand while she scouted the space for Regina's appearance.

She couldn't even text her – they hadn't exchanged numbers yet for some silly reason – but they really ought to do that now, since Emma was pretty sure Regina was going to be a permanent fixture in their lives. The kids really adored her for sure, and Emma definitely needed more friends. Especially beautiful as fuck women who lived in her building.

Finally Regina appeared around the corner, carrying a take-away coffee cup in each hand and wearing the brightest smile Emma had yet to see. "Hi," the brunette breathed as she stepped forward and pressed a light kiss to Emma's cheek – her lips were warm and welcoming, leaving tingles on Emma's skin – before bending down to give Alba's forehead a featherlight kiss as well, careful not to wake her. "I brought drinks."

"You're the best," Emma smiled as she received the cup from her. She quickly took sip. "Cocoa with cinnamon? How did you know?" She relished the taste of her favourite drink, wiping her lips off with the back of her hand.

Regina paused. "Henry might have tattled," she breathed, but there was something she wasn't telling her. Emma didn't know what it was, but she was quickly becoming quite adapt at understanding Regina's different facial expressions.

Emma decided to let her and Henry have their secrets for now though, thankful that this other woman seemed to understand her son so well on most days. Henry needed that in his life; he was such a good kid, but she wasn't always entirely able to understand all of his little quirks and opinions. She mostly didn't understand how he ended up with those in the first place. "Well thanks, I appreciate it," she said as she motioned towards the left, "Wanna walk?"

Offering her an almost shy nod, she and Regina started to walk down the gravel path. Emma steered the stroller with one hand as she carried her cocoa with the other, and Regina walked silently next to her. The only sound that could be heard between them for a while was their shoes on the ground, and the wheels on the stroller going round and round, and Emma savoured the silence and the autumn wind in her hair. She'd tucked her grey beanie down over her ears, but Regina's hair blew gently in the wind as it tainted her cheeks pink.

"So," Emma said after a little while. She wasn't sure what she really wanted to talk about, because just being with Regina made her feel safer somehow. "Henry really appreciated the notes you gave him on his Evil Queen story."

Regina's brown eyes turned slightly wide as she glanced at Emma. "Yes. He's really quite talented, Miss Swan. He's got some great ideas and a fantastic understanding of character motivation."

Chuckling, Emma said, fond, "Yeah, I don't know where he gets that from… He's just a really perceptive kid, I guess."

"I mean," Regina paused, tongue darting out to trail across her upper lip, which momentarily cut Emma's brain function down to at least half its usual capacity as she stared at it, "to alter the story so that the Queen has _lost_ because of Snow White… that just seems more relatable to me, doesn't it? As if someone would go on a murderous spree because of vanity."

Not able to stop herself, Emma laughed as she watched the other woman. Regina was really something – she'd never heard another person, despite Henry, care so deeply about fairytale characters, and the way Regina spoke about it made it seem almost… personal. It was endearing, to be honest, and Emma found herself wanting to know this woman even more.

Regina eyed her, lips curling in amusement. "What's so funny, Miss Swan?"

"Oh," Emma drew out the last chuckles, shaking her head, "it's just… you care so much, you know? And," she paused, taking a quick sip of her cocoa, "you're probably right, I mean… I never thought Snow White was _that hot_ in the cartoon, whereas the Evil Queen? She really had something." Emma arched an eyebrow, challenging Regina who was watching her with rapt attention, "Perhaps it's just me and my fondness for older women."

A faint blush rose up Regina's cheeks at that, but Emma pretended not to notice. It was cute, even though she would never say that to her, because she had a feeling that it would not be appreciated. Regina drew in a sharp breath. "Yes, well, I can't tell you how glad I am to hear you say that."

Emma arched an eyebrow, "That I have a fondness for older women?"

Rolling her eyes, Regina sighed, "No, _you idiot,_ that you prefer the Evil Queen to Snow White."

And that right there? That was what Emma liked so much about Regina; not only was she hilariously funny in her own way, but she also challenged Emma in a way that no one had ever done before. The small snarks, the fond teasing. It was so familiar, yet entirely new, and Emma loved the ease with which it happened between them. "Identify with the Queen much, do we?"

"Hm," was Regina's only reply as she tilted her head back for a long sip of what was undoubtedly coffee with a dash of milk.

"Anyway," Emma added, steering the stroller to the right as the path forked, "Henry's growing real fond of you already. I mean, it's always just been us, and all of a sudden there's all these new people in his life…" she trailed off, thinking of how she had introduced her son to a baby sister, Lily and now Regina in a very short span of time, and how he'd just been such a trooper about it, "I just think he really appreciates it, you know? I knew things weren't gonna be the same when I decided to have Alba, and Henry was on board immediately, but I have of course had less time with him…" She stared down at her sleeping child as her fingers curled around the handle of the stroller, whitening by the sheer force of her grip.

Regina's hand came to gently rest upon hers, "Hey," she whispered, brown eyes searching out Emma's as she gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, "I'm sure you're doing wonderfully, Emma. You're a single mother, it's tough, and with two kids…" She smiled, and there was a sad tinge to it, like she was thinking of her own son and missing him deeply, "It's not easy. But they're great kids."

Emma swallowed loudly. "Thank you."

Patting her hand, before dropping her own back to hang at her side, Regina said, "You're very welcome. And as I said the other day, I am here if you need me for anything."

"Actually," Emma interjected at that, shyly guiding them towards another bench so they could take a seat. "Lily asked me out for drinks this Friday… would you mind babysitting?"

A flash of something entirely unreadable came upon Regina's face at her question, and the older woman tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "…yes." She nodded, but her brown eyes were wavering, "Of course, Emma. Anything. I do like your kids a lot."

With a frown, Emma said, "You don't have to, I can just tell Lily no…"

"No, no, no," Regina quickly stopped her, waving her hand and dropping it into Emma's lap to grab her spare one. "You deserve to have some time off and enjoy yourself. I will gladly watch the kids. Should I just stay at your apartment, so they can go to sleep in their own beds in case it gets… late?" She furrowed her brow, tongue once more darting out to wet painted lips as she forced a smile at Emma.

The blonde frowned. "Yes, that'd be great. Are you…" she trailed off, trying to get a read on the emotions in Regina's eyes, even though it was proving very difficult at the moment; almost as if the other woman had decided to put up a wall and not let her in. "Are you sure though?"

Regina nodded, "Of course I'm sure." She sipped her coffee, "It'll give me and Henry a lot of time to talk about his stories. I'm sure he'll like that."

They sat on the bench and talked for a little while, before they decided to head out of the park to find a place to grab an early dinner. Alba had woken up, too, and was in need of some food, so they found a quaint little Italian place where they were allowed to feed Alba some of her baby food. Emma noticed Regina's fond smile as she pulled out a jar of the stewed apples, and she couldn't help but love the way Regina's eyes seemed to followed the movement of the spoon to Alba's mouth, as if checking if the kid really did enjoy the food.

Emma held the spoon out and said, "Do you wanna feed her?"

Eyes round, Regina accepted Alba onto her own lap, and Alba settled into her, happy to be in Regina's arms as much as she was in Emma's or Henry's, while Regina offered her the first spoonful of food. Emma watched them as she wolfed down forkfuls of her spaghetti carbonara, suddenly realising just how hungry all that fresh air and walking had made her. Regina altered between feeding Alba spoonfuls of food and eating her own dish, and Emma couldn't stop herself from enjoying the sight in front of her… perhaps a little too much.

"Your apples are a hit with her," she commented as she took a long gulp of water.

Regina's smile could have rivalled the brightest of diamonds, "Well, I am happy to hear that. Also happy to make more when you're out."

 _She's unreal,_ Emma thought to herself. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the other woman and the way she so gently held her daughter and fed her. Alba had stewed apples on her round cheeks and all the way down her bib, and Regina wiped her carefully with a napkin as she cooed down at her gently. Emma excused herself to use the restroom – not at all worried about leaving Alba in the hands of Regina, which a sensible parent perhaps should have been? – and she used the toilet quickly, before stopping in front of the mirror.

She was grinning like an absolute fool. She hadn't noticed before this moment, but her face was hurting from smiling so much, and she just knew that it was because of Regina. She dabbed herself with cold water and stared at her reflection. If she wasn't careful, she was going to be in a great amount of trouble. She was already way too fond of Regina, and it was hard to tell, but she felt that perhaps the feeling was mutual? At least Regina appeared to be fond of her – and her kids at that! – which you just didn't find these days. Not that Emma had really tried a lot to find it, and she probably wouldn't have started trying, but Regina just… sort of fell into her life. And oh, she was glad she did. But she had to be careful. She couldn't make Alba and Henry count on her if she wasn't there to stay.

 _But you like her,_ that voice told Emma inside of her, and Emma knew that it was right. She liked Regina – and not just in the way that she wanted to fuck her because she was gorgeous, but in the real way – and she had to be careful about that. There was a reason she hadn't dated anyone ever since she had Henry. She just didn't want to get her heart broken.

Stepping back into the restaurant, Emma made a beeline for their seats, only to see that what appeared to be a young couple – the woman heavily pregnant – was getting into their seats next to them, and Emma's shit was all over the place. She rushed to their side and kicked her diaper back beneath the table. "I'm sorry, shit," she murmured, reaching over to grab her jacket that she had carelessly thrown on a spare chair, "I'm messy, sorry."

"No worries," the woman laughed, sighing happily as she fell into the seat next to Emma's, hand resting on her stomach. "Oh yes, that was nice."

"I remember that feeling," Emma commented, eyeing the belly beneath the woman's hand. She was pretty sure that this woman was going to pop any minute now; she couldn't be far from her due date. "By the end you just have to pee or sit down all the time. And eat, always eat."

Regina snorted across from her. "As if you don't eat all the time anyway," she fondly murmured, eyes shining with mirth. Alba was still on her lap, hands wrapped around two of Regina's fingers, and the jar stood empty on the table in front of them. "Your Mamma's a bottomless pit, isn't she Alba?" She rested her chin gently on top of Alba's head and smiled.

Emma retorted, "I have a healthy appetite, OK?"

The woman laughed, hands rubbing her belly. "Oh, so you carried your daughter?" She motioned towards Alba with a nod of her head, "I would have thought it would be the other way around, you must have found a really good donor," she mused, and the man across from her nodded eagerly in agreement.

"This is our first," he said, "so we're very excited and nervous. I just try to be as prepared as possible."

Frowning slightly at the comment on the donor, Emma stared at them in confusion. "You can never be fully prepared, but you can sure as heck try. Hey," she looked pointedly at the woman again, "what did you mean about the donor?"

The woman blinked, clearly confused. "Just that…" she motioned towards Regina and Alba again, who were both watching silently, "you two must have found a donor that resembles your partner a lot, because your daughter looks like her." She turned her attention to the menu in front of her, bending her head as she opened it.

Emma's mouth fell open, "Uh, we're not- I mean, it's-" she stopped talking, not sure what to say, as the man's eyes landed on her above his menu.

"Do you perhaps want to take Alba a bit, so I can finish my meal?" Regina interrupted her, coming to the rescue by standing up and transferring Alba onto Emma's lap easily, as if it was something they had done a million times before.

Accepting her new seat, Alba babbled, "Mah, mah, mah," as she curled a hand in a lock of Emma's long hair.

Regina sat back down and immediately started eating the rest of her spaghetti bolognese. "That's going to be 'mamma' soon, I think," she commented, eyes shining as they locked onto Emma's.

Clearing her throat and pulling herself out of her sudden trance, Emma said, "Yeah, yeah, I uh… I hope it's gonna be the first sensible word she says." She turned to the two people at the table next to her, who were watching Alba with happy smiles on their faces, no doubt looking forward to their own little baby coming out soon, "Until now it's just been a lot of babbles," she added.

The waiter interrupted their small conversation to ask for the couple's orders, and Regina used the opportunity to ask for the bill, so they could head on home soon. They chatted back and forth – Emma exchanging a lot of baby tips with the couple – while Regina finished her food and started packing up all of Alba's things in the bag. Emma thought she was an absolute saint, sweeter than she deserved for sure, but she wasn't going to complain. She was going to think more about the fact that the couple was probably right, though – Alba did look _a bit_ like Regina. She probably hadn't noticed it before because she was so used to looking at Alba, but there were resemblances.

She knew that her kid had to look a lot like the donor, because Emma was pretty sure she was not part Latinx – her complexion had always been white, her hair blonde – but there was more to it than that. Alba's eyes had basically the same shape as Regina's and the same thing could be said about the shade of her hair.

Emma pondered this as they walked back to the apartment to beat Henry home, and Regina was awfully silent as well, as she walked next to her, pushing the stroller for Emma. They were basically home before Emma finally said something, watching as Regina unlocked the door to their fenced-off apartment building. "Hey, why do you think they thought Alba looked like you?"

Regina paused, struggling for a second to get the stroller through the fence, "I guess because she looks Latinx? I mean, your donor must have been Latinx, right?" She closed the fence behind her, slowly pushing the stroller towards the door.

"Honestly?" Emma questioned as she started loading all of her things into her arms so she could lock the stroller against the railing, "I actually don't remember…" she flicked the lock and smiled at Regina as she swooped down to pick up Alba. It was always much easier to get everything when there were four hands.

With a chuckle, Regina unlocked the door, "Somehow that does not surprise me," she dryly commented. She pressed the button to the elevator. "Do you need me to come with you upstairs?"

Emma smiled, thankful. "That'd be great. I can offer you a scotch? Henry's going to be home soon."

Regina nodded, silently accepting the offer.

"That doesn't explain why they thought she looked like _you_ though," Emma said after a minute's silence. The elevator pinged open and they made their way to the door of her apartment. "I mean. They didn't just say Latinx, they said _you,_ so…" she trailed off, contemplating the encounter as she stuck her keys in the lock and let them inside.

Making her way into the living room, Regina moved familiarly around, as if this was as much her personal space as it was Emma's. "Honestly, I think you're making way too big a deal out of this," Regina replied as she put Alba down in the playpen. "It's probably nothing, Emma. You carried Alba, so what does it matter what she looks like? Besides," she glanced down at the baby, a confused look on her face as well, "I definitely see a Swan nose down there."

Emma chuckled, stopping next to the playpen to look down at her daughter, "Yeah, Henry's looked like that too when he was a baby." She turned to Regina at that, their faces in close proximity as the other woman hovered over her, a few inches taller in her high heeled boots. "Should I get my good scotch? Honestly, I can't wait until I'm done breastfeeding entirely. I want a beer."

Regina nervously fidgeted with the side of the playpen, before a hand came to rest upon her stomach. "Actually, I think I'll… have to decline that scotch after all." She stepped towards the table, grabbing her discarded purse, "I'm a bit tired, and I have an early day tomorrow," she explained, not looking up to meet Emma's eyes.

Trying not to let her disappointment show too clearly, Emma nodded, "Oh yeah… okay." She nodded her head. Regina had already given her so much of her time today, and it was presumptuous of Emma to expect even more. The woman had her own life too, not just there for Emma's every whim and suggestion. She already did so many things to help. "Should we maybe exchange numbers, so we can arrange for Friday?"

Nodding, Regina wordlessly held out her cell phone so Emma could type in her number.

"You can just text me, so I have yours," Emma replied, before she followed Regina to the door. She couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was, but the air between them was suddenly odd, filled with tension and something else. She gingerly placed a hand on Regina's arm. "Thank you… for today. I had a wonderful time."

Regina turned around and offered Emma a small, almost sad, smile. "Me too," she whispered, before she stepped closer and softly, almost carefully as if Emma was going to reject her, wrapped her arms around Emma in a tight hug.

Emma savoured the feeling; Regina's body pressed to hers, the heat, the comfort and the way her chin fitted perfectly on Regina's shoulder if she bent down a little. She breathed in her scent – something so distinctly Regina that she wanted to bottle it up and smell it everyday – before she stepped back, lips lingering on Regina's cheek for a small peck. She whispered, "Until then."

"Until then," Regina replied as she reluctantly opened the door and slipped out of the apartment.

It wasn't until later that evening, once Emma was laying in her bed, getting ready to sleep, that she checked her phone to find a message from a unknown number. She almost didn't open it, because she knew it was going to be Regina, but she was curious to see what the other woman had written her, so she flicked it open and paused.

 _Regina,_ it simply said.

But that wasn't what gave Emma pause. No – it was what was above that simple message. It was the _This number is no longer in service_ written beneath a picture that Emma had sent what felt forever ago to a number she knew almost on instinct.

She felt her heart speed up as she stared at the old picture of the crib and the horse mobile, before her eyes moved to Regina's name in the newest message. What were the odds of that?

It took a long time before Emma fell asleep that night, but when she finally did, it was a sleep filled with dreams of a foreign forest, a forest she had dreamt of many times before, but only this time she was not in it with an unfamiliar woman; this time it was Regina by her side, hair shorter, eyes more haunted, but most definitely Regina tugging at her hand and giving her shy smiles.

What the hell was going on?

* * *

A/N: So we're getting somewhere then! Some of you had predicted that this number would come out to play, and it most certainly has – although we're still a bit far from Emma remembering anything. A lot of things need to happen yet! And as some of you have asked, some of this story will take place in Storybrooke, so we will eventually make our way there. I am not tattling about Lily though, because I want her fate to be a surprise, although I can promise it will be a good one.

As always, thanks for reading and reviewing! You guys are awesome.


	8. Chapter Eight: The Black Dress

A/N: Thank you so much for your continued support on this story! I am glad that you like everything so far – this chapter moves us forward for sure and it's been very great to write. Also, there are words in this chapter in Spanish, and I have not taken Spanish since high school eight years ago, so I apologise in advance if any of the words are spelled wrong or used incorrectly. It is lyrics to a lullaby, and I shall gladly change the words if you find any mistakes. Thank you.

* * *

 **CHAPTER EIGHT – THE BLACK DRESS**

When Emma opened the door for her, Regina had to try really hard to school her features.

"Hi," Emma greeted, smile radiant as ever, as she stood there, inviting Regina into her apartment, "Thank you so much for doing this."

Regina simply gaped at her, finding words all too difficult to form, because _what was Emma wearing_. It was definitely not anything Regina had ever seen her wear before, not even close. On first hand it was a dress, which – wow – but on second hand it was a leather dress; as in tight, black and very short. And she was wearing high heels too, which just made her long legs seem even longer somehow. Regina did a double-take, without her own consent, and let brown eyes trail up Emma's legs, over her ample breasts – slightly bigger than normal, due to the baby and nursing – before landing on Emma's face.

Emma, who was watching her in amusement with one eyebrow raised. "I guess that answers that question," she chuckled, as she stepped back to allow Regina entrance into her apartment.

Regina grumbled, truly embarrassed by her own inability to act nonchalant, "What question," she dryly commented, toeing off her heels in the hallway.

"If I look okay," Emma shyly replied, as Regina turned to look at her. She tucked a piece of curled blonde hair behind her ear and closed the door.

Pausing, Regina glanced her over once more, eyes drinking in the sight of her; her beautiful, truly stunning Emma, and she reached a hand out and gently took Emma's in a reassuring squeeze. "You look absolutely beautiful," she reassured the other woman, because she could see that Emma was actually nervous and not just fishing for compliments.

Emma sighed in relief. "Thank you." She bit her lip, "I just figured, I haven't been out in ages, I might as well enjoy it. I'm slightly worried my boobs are gonna pop out though, this dress is B.A."

"B.A.?" Regina questioned as she tried to pull her eyes away from Emma's cleavage, which was just hard when Emma made an effort to point it out herself. It wasn't that Regina couldn't control her urges or anything, it was just a _long time_ since she'd touched Emma, kissed her, been more intimate with her than the hug they shared the other day, and she was _starving._ In need of Emma's touch like some kind of Emma-addict.

"Before Alba," Emma clarified with a dry chuckle as she started walking down the hallway. Regina's eyes landed on her butt on their own accord as she walked ahead in those high heels. "Alba's in the playpen, Henry's playing video games," Emma explained as they entered the living room, where Henry was immersed in some kind of shoot-out on the television screen.

Regina nodded, moving to the playpen to smile down at Alba, who was laying on her tummy and trying to manoeuvre herself forward. She was going to be crawling any day now, that was clear to Regina. "Hi little one," she softly breathed as she reached a hand out to stroke Alba's back. It was a bit frightening how much affection surged through her whenever she saw this baby, but she was done caring about it at this point. Apparently this was to be her life; deeply in love with all things Swan.

"I just fed her, but she's gonna need some solids later," Emma added as she moved to grabbed her purse, "Henry also had dinner, but you take whatever you want, OK? And don't let him trick you into too much candy, I know all his tricks, but you…" She smiled fondly, green eyes shimmering with amusement. "Anyway, I don't think it's going to be too late, but I'll text you if anything comes up, OK?"

"And I'll text you if I need you," Regina confirmed, dark eyes once more drinking in the sight of Emma in that dress. She'd now thrown her jacket over her shoulders and was fussing with her hair. "Relax," Regina softly added, stepping closer to fix the lapels on the jacket. She hated that this dress was all for Lily's sake, but she couldn't do anything about it. Even if it was for another woman, Regina wanted Emma to feel confident and beautiful. "You look stunning, Emma. Truly. You have no need to worry. Lily's going to love it."

Opening her mouth to say something, Emma gawked, "It's not-" but she stopped herself with a deep huff, "Thank you," she eventually said instead, eyes boring deeply into Regina's. "That means a lot coming from you."

Regina arched an eyebrow as she drank in the close proximity between her and Emma at the moment, "It does?" she questioned, eyes drawn to the curve of Emma's upturned lips, coloured a shimmering pink for the evening.

"Yeah," Emma bashfully shrugged, "'cuz you're, you know… very beautiful." She lowered her eyes at that, suddenly finding the tips of her heels very interesting.

Feeling a faint flush darken her cheeks, Regina had to remind herself that this was not appropriate conversation; not with Lily waiting for Emma at some cocktail bar and with Henry and Alba mere feet away. Besides, it was probably never going to be appropriate conversation again, no matter how much Regina wished to assure Emma of her beauty on a daily basis. "Leave this apartment, Emma," she joked instead and gave the other woman a slight push backwards to get her going.

Emma kicked into gear at that, gathering herself with a huff. "See ya', Kid, I'm leaving," she threw at Henry, before she bent down to kiss Alba on the head, "Love you, little munchkin-bean," she murmured.

"See ya', Ma," Henry sighed, sounding entirely done with this prolonged goodbye-séance in the middle of his game. "Regina will keep us alive 'til later, bye, bye, say hi to Lily, love ya'," he rattled off, before returning his focus to the screen.

Chuckling, Regina motioned towards the hallway. "We'll be right here when you get home, Emma," she assured the other woman and tried to ignore the feeling of absolute heartache growing in the pit of her stomach. It was not right for her to be jealous, not right now, because Emma wasn't at fault here, no matter how much it hurt Regina to send her off on a date with another woman. "Take care," she added with finality, as she stepped up – much farther than usual due to Emma's heels – to peck her cheek.

Nodding, Emma turned on her heel and left the apartment. Regina held her breath, wanting to make sure that the door was really smacked close, that Emma had really left, before she breathed out and leaned her forehead against the wall right next to her. This was one of the most painful things she had ever had to endure, and she'd been _tortured,_ she'd watched her mother tear Daniel's _heart out,_ torn her own _father's heart_ out, and gosh – a little heartache because Emma was going on a date with another woman and she was reduced to a mess.

Apparently this was just her place in life; she should have expected that ever being happy with Emma was a dream, an ending, a start to a future, that she did not deserve. Emma was good, better than anyone Regina had ever met, and she was just an Evil Queen who had tried really hard to redeem herself, but mostly failed anyway. She did not deserve Emma's love, so she could endure this. She could withstand it if that was what made Emma happy. After all, being near her – even just as friends- was preferable to not having her at all.

It just – it _hurt._ Really, deeply hurt, to imagine Emma going on a date with Lily. She had dressed up so beautifully too, made an effort, wanting to impress Lily with her appearance, and all Regina could picture was Lily having the exact same reaction as she herself had had and how she was allowed to – to _touch_ Emma, to kiss her. To be with her. Oh goodness, what would Regina do with herself if Emma only returned in the morning making it clear that she had spent the night elsewhere?

Squeezing her eyes shut, she willed traitorous tears of frustration not to fall, and she only looked up when she heard Henry sigh from his place, shoulder leaned against the archway. Apparently he'd forgotten his game in favour of watching her, and Regina quickly regained some self control, wiped the tears away and stood up straight.

She said, "What?" and tried to force a smile onto her lips.

Henry looked unamused, "It's not a date," he commented, pushing himself off the wall to step closer to her.

Regina stood up straighter, "What do you mean?"

Rolling his eyes, Henry continued, "With Ma and Lilly. It's not a date."

"It's not?" Regina breathed, brow furrowed and confusion clear. She forgot for a minute that she did not want to involve Henry in whatever this was, simply because she needed to hear what he had to say. She bit her lip.

Henry shook his head and forced a crooked smile, "Nope," he clarified, running a hand through his hair that was just growing slightly too long in Regina's opinion, "Lily probably wants it to be, but not Ma, so you can calm down."

Regina narrowed her eyes at him and stepped past him, into the living room, where she cast a glance down at Alba, who was busy hammering two pieces of toys together with her hands, "I am entirely calm," she commented, staring fondly down at the girl in the playpen, "It doesn't matter to me either way. Your mother deserves to be treated to a date," she replied, but she couldn't help but feel a small surge of hope in her belly, the thought that _maybe it wasn't a date._ But it had seemed like such a date, and Emma had called Lily, Henry and Alba her family, and she was pretty sure that Lily liked Emma, and – had she read this entire situation all wrong from the start?

"Yeah okay," Henry snorted in a laugh as he stared at her in disbelief. She knew that face, and he was not convinced of her petty lie.

She nudged him with her arm, "Now hush you, and show me how to play that game of yours."

Eyes lighting up, Henry eagerly said, "Can I have some candy first?"

Falling into the couch, Regina shook her head at him, "Nice try," she commented as she picked up the controller, "Now, which buttons do I press to beat your ass into next week?"

Laughing, Henry fell into a seat next to her and continued to explain his game. Regina listened carefully, hanging onto his every word a savouring the feeling of being so close to him, of having his undivided attention. Alba was happily playing in her pen, just in Regina's eyesight – the easiest baby ever – and she made small sounds of happiness, trying to form words instead of babbles, and each time the two blocks she was banging together made an especially loud clank she broke into tiny baby-laughs, the most adorable sound Regina had heard since Henry's baby-laughs.

They played the game for a little while, and Regina had to admit that she was pretty terrible at it, but Henry seemed to be enjoying himself, and only when Alba started fussing in the playpen, did Regina tell him to shut the game off. She knew she had probably allowed him too much screen-time, especially according to her own standards, but she had a funny feeling that he was not going to tell Emma on her.

She got Alba out of the playpen, the baby happy to get some attention, and found a jar of mashed sweet potatoes in the refrigerator. Henry found a book in his room – something for his English class, he promised – and Regina decided to sit on the couch with Alba so she could be close to him as he lounged in the soft chair, feet dangling over the plush arm as he stuck his nose into his book. She had Alba on her lap and fed her, the child making it very difficult, because even though she was hungry, she appeared determined to get as much food all over herself and Regina as possible.

"Alba, come on, baby," Regina cooed, trying to force the spoon into her mouth as the girl hammered her closed fists, with as much force as she mastered, into Regina's stomach. "You gotta eat, baby girl, and then we can get you changed and into bed, hm?"

Henry grinned from behind his book, "Ma neglected to tell you how she can be at bedtime, huh?"

Regina eyed him, inwardly cursing Emma, "So this is a regular occurrence, I take it?"

Henry bobbed his head, "Yup," he said, closing the book and placing it on the table, "I bet she's gonna give Ma a heap of trouble when she's a teenager. Sneaking out and going to parties. Not a good kid. Like me." His eyes shone with mirth, and Regina had to bite back a chuckle.

"Yes, I see that she's really lucked out with you. What a sweet and perfect child you are," she dryly commented, even though that was exactly how she felt. Her heart ached to tell him that, but she knew she couldn't. "What does your mother do to soothe her?"

"Sing, mostly," Henry replied, watching in amusement from his seat, book forgotten. "While she gets Alba her last meal, while she gets her changed, while she tucks her in… It's not a pleasant sound."

Raking her brain, Regina tried to recall what she had done with Henry when he was a baby. It was a long time ago, forever it seemed, but in truth she remembered clearly which song she had always sung to him at bedtime. It was the song her Daddy had sung for her, some of the only Spanish her mother had ever allowed her to listen to, and if she was going to sing for Alba, there was only one lullaby it could be. Clearing her throat and pressing a kiss to Alba's head, Regina sang in a soft murmur.

"Arrorró mi niña, arrorró mi sol, arrorró pedazo de mi corazón," she sang, pushing the spoon into Alba's mouth as the girl's eyes turned slightly wider, enthralled by the foreign words and the song around her. "Este niña linda se quiere dormir, y el pícaro sueño no quiere venir," she continued, and she was vaguely aware of the fact that Henry had sat himself up straight in the chair, a puzzled look marring his face as he listened to her song.

"What's-?" he begun, but Regina hushed him, not wanting to disturb Alba so she could finish her meal.

"Este niña linda se quiere dormir, cierra los ojitos y los vuelve a abrir," she continued, and Henry was humming softly, the sound accompanying her words as he leaned forward, elbows now resting on his knees as he listened, "Arrorró mi niña, arrorró mi sol, arrorró pedazo de mi corazón. Arrorró mi niña, arrorró mi sol," she sang, getting ready for the last part, the way she had always sung this song for Henry, even though there were many different versions all over the world, she had later learned.

"Duérmete mi niña, duérmete mi amor." Henry softly sang with her, his green eyes shimmering as she turned to stare at him, Alba momentarily forgotten on her lap, and only her son – her sweet little prince – on her mind.

"Henry…" she breathed, and she had to bury her hands in Alba's sweater, not wanting him to see them shake. "How do you know that song?"

Henry shook his head, eyebrows knitted together, true confusion written on his boyish features. "I don't know," he honestly said. "I want to say that Ma probably sang it for me when I was a baby, but she doesn't know Spanish, so…"

Regina knew exactly where he remembered that song from, and once more she was reminded how flimsy and weak Pan's curse must have been, and how Emma and Henry had not truly _forgotten_ everything, it was just buried so deep within them that it needed help coming forward. She knew her potions would be that help, she knew they would awaken them, and such a moment as this was a reminder to her that she could still have them back; perhaps not entirely in the way she wanted regarding Emma, but she could take them home. They could come back to Storybrooke, because somewhere, deep inside of him, Henry remembered.

"Perhaps someone just sang it to me at that home we lived at for a while," Henry mused, before he fell back into the chair and reached for his book again.

"Perhaps," Regina stiffly replied, before she turned back to look at Alba, who was watching her with tired eyes and sweet potatoes all over her face. "I'll get you cleaned and into bed, little one," Regina whispered as she stood up from the couch.

Henry said, "You can grab a clean shirt from Ma's closet if you don't feel like wearing that one." He scrunched his nose at Regina's purple dress shirt, dirtied with mashed potatoes and dried tears.

Thanking him, Regina got Alba onto the changing table; she gave her a fresh diaper and a clean romper while she cooed down at her, humming softly and singing to lull the girl into a more relaxed state. She wasn't crying or too grumpy, simply just tired, and when Regina tucked her in and turned the horse mobile on, Alba was practically already sleeping, tired from the long day of almost crawling, almost talking and exploring the world she lived in.

Once she was asleep, Regina closed both doors to the nursery and found her way into Emma's bedroom – at once curious but also a little wary of being in there, on such private grounds – and searched for a spare t-shirt in her closet. She found one and decided to borrow a pair of tights as well, eager to get out of her slacks and shirt. If she were to babysit again, she should probably remember to dress more comfortably. Who knew when Emma was going to be home – Regina frowned at the thought as she stripped and got redressed – perhaps she'd end up falling asleep on the couch.

When she reappeared in the living room, Henry had put his book away and was setting two cups of tea onto the small coffee table. It was his bedtime soon, and Regina could tell he wasn't going to object to that, because he seemed tired, but she'd allow this cup of tea before ordering him to sleep. She even found a couple of cookies in one of Emma's cupboards, wanting to treat them both. Henry immediately picked at one, nibbling the sides and not stuffing his mouth as he usually would, and Regina sensed that there was something on his mind, something that he wanted to talk to her about. She had no guess as to what it could be – with Henry, it could be anything from his stories to teasing her about Emma – and she was content to sip her tea and let him gather himself. She was confident that he was going to tell her when he was ready, and this pleased her to no end, because she might not be his mother in this universe, but she was still his confidant, and she could tell that he trusted her and viewed her as such.

"Regina, can I ask you something?" he eventually questioned her, his eyes sharply focused on the mug of tea he was nestling between his hands.

Regina smiled into her mug, "Sure Henry, you can ask me anything," she softly replied, brown eyes gazing upon her son, her sweet and wonderful son who was so emotional and in touch with himself. She wondered how she and Emma had ever managed to raise such a perfect little boy.

He furrowed his brow, feet shuffling, "I was just wondering…" he begun, eyes finally raising to meet Regina's, "When you, you know, _like_ someone," he paused, eyes wavering, "how do you know it's love?"

Breath hitching in her throat, Regina could not believe that she was about to have this conversation with him. Her _child,_ her little prince who was not supposed to grow up so quickly and ask her questions about love and feelings like that. Where was the kid whose only concern had been comic books and whether or not his mother was an evil fairytale villain? Suddenly she longed for those days, even if he had hated her most of the time, because at least he had still been her little prince. "As… opposed to friendship?" Regina queried, brown eyes searching his face which – at this moment – did not belong to a little boy, but to a teenager.

Nodding mutely, Henry appeared to think about his answer for a second or two. "It's just…" he trailed off, wetting his lips, and looking so much like Emma at that moment that it was jarring, "How do _you_ know… that, that, you know," he paused again, clearly not entirely sure how to say what he wanted to say next.

"How do I know what, Henry?" Regina softly questioned, trying to convey through her eyes that he could say what was on his mind. "You can talk to me, I won't get mad."

"How do you know you like my mom?" he asked at that, green eyes meeting Regina's in a serious hold as he stared at her with determination, "And don't say you don't, because I think you do, but just – how do you know you like her as more than just a friend?" He fidgeted with the hem of his t-shirt next, cup of tea pushed to the table. "How does the feelings differ?"

Regina's heart was beating like crazy inside of her chest, and she placed her own cup of tea next to Henry's on the table, and scooted as close to him as the couch would allow. He was still sitting in the chair, looking so small all of a sudden, and she reached a hand out to gently place his inside of it. "I guess you look inside of yourself," she honestly commented, eyes meeting his, "and then you try to tell whether you want to, to be _close_ to the other person. And if it's a different kind of close than you want to be to your other friends. Do you see?"

Henry nodded, "I think I do…" he trailed off, nose scrunching slightly, "So even if it's someone of your own gender," he looked down again, focused on his t-shirt, "like with you and Ma, then… you can still try to see if your feelings are different?"

" _Yes_ ," Regina firmly said, nodding her head and squeezing his hand in reassurance.

He continued to nod, still not meeting her gaze. "But what if the other person doesn't have different feelings like yours? I mean, it probably happens, right…" He looked up at her, honest concern on his face. "Not that I don't think Ma could like you like that, because I think she could, but she's an idiot and kind of slow with these things, and, and, I mean, Lily's liked her for _ages,_ and Ma's just…" he trailed off, fingers squeezing inside of hers, now his turn to reassure her.

Regina smiled at him, fond. Her little prince, always so concerned with everyone around him. "Don't think about that," she told him, even though she was happy to hear that he _thought_ that Emma might be able to fall for her again, despite all odds, "Don't think about me, but, Henry," she paused, wetting her lips, "are you asking me this because… there's someone from school you think you might like differently?"

He nodded, "Yeah."

"I see," she commented, "There's no way to tell if they like you back unless you talk to them," she added, heart aching silently for her child, who was experiencing his first love and feeling too confused to do anything about it. "What's got you so concerned, Henry? I know it's scary to put yourself out there if it's not reciprocated, but that's a risk you have got to take."

"But it's just harder," he replied, and there was a slight whine to his voice.

She leaned even more forward, staring seriously into his eyes. "Why's it harder?"

"Because he's my best friend," Henry whispered, and there were small tears gathering in the corners of his eyes.

Regina paused. His best friend? Oh! _Oh. His best friend._ "Troy?" she lowly murmured, thumb stroking across the back of Henry's hand as she tried to convey to him that she was there. "You think you might like Troy differently." Oh, her sweet little prince. Just starting to figure himself out.

He jutted out his chin, "I don't know, that's what I'm trying to figure out."

"Henry," she rushed to say, tugging him forward so they were even closer, "You are in no rush to figure yourself out, OK? It can happen at any time. And if Troy doesn't like you like that, you'll find someone else who does. It might hurt a little bit, but love does that sometimes. All I can say is that your mother – and _me_ -" she added for good measure, "we're here for you no matter what."

Henry nodded, "Okay," he whispered, slowly slipping himself forward to fall into her arms. He pressed himself against her, head buried in her hair, and she hugged him tightly, savouring the feeling of having him so close, something she had missed desperately for so long.

She pressed a kiss to his head. "I'm here if you want to talk, alright?" she whispered into his hair, clutching him tightly. "And I think you should be off to bed now, hm? It's way past your bedtime."

Grinning sheepishly, Henry pulled himself away from her, lingering slightly by her hand. "Thank you," he murmured, bobbing his head softly up and down, "And uh, just so you know… I uh, I hope Ma will come to her senses and like you, too. You're really awesome, Regina."

"Goodnight Henry," she sternly said, but she appreciated the sentiment more than she could ever explain to him.

He shuffled off to bed, just as Alba let out a loud cry from inside the nursery, and Regina pulled herself off the couch.

—-

Lily was buying them cocktails left and right, splurging way more than her low wages at the baby store allowed her to, but every time Emma tried to take out her debit card to get the next round, Lily was quicker than her, using the excuse that this was her treat, and that Emma deserved to be spoiled.

Don't mind her, it was nice. It was wonderful to be out for a change and to drink as many cocktails as she wanted – and she'd only crammed herself and Lily into a stall once to pump – and it felt nice to be dressed up and just not be a mom for one evening.

She felt confident and sexy in her outfit, even if she'd been fishing for compliments from Regina. Perhaps it was the way the older woman's eyes had darkened the second she'd laid eyes on Emma, or perhaps it was the way she had felt them bore into her backside as she walked away from her, but she felt truly _beautiful_ tonight. Regina's response to her looks was everything she had hoped it would be – and yes, she might have chosen her dress on account of what she thought Regina would like – and now she was just trying really hard to shake off the wonderful feeling Regina's gaze had elicited inside of her.

She knew she was in trouble, she _knew_ it. Especially because she had also noticed the way that Lily's eyes had widened when they'd landed upon her earlier. She tried not to think too hard on that though, because that was not for tonight.

Her phone dinged, signalling a message from Regina, and Emma swiped it open, lips wrapped around the pink straw, giving her a never-ending stream of gin and tonic, as she took in the picture the other woman had attached for her. It was of Alba, sleeping soundly in her crib, and the text read: _Everyone's sleeping in their respective beds. I'm enjoying a cup of tea and Henry's required reading for school. Did you know they make them read Shakespeare?_

Chuckling, Emma typed out a quick reply, fingers skittering across the touch screen of her phone. She could feel that she was grinning like an idiot, the alcohol making her ever looser than usual. When she looked up, tucking her phone away in her purse, it was to Lily's unamused stare. "What?" she challenged.

Lily swirled her straw, "You know what."

"Stop it," Emma mused, before she bent her head and took another sip of her gin and tonic. There was some kind of elderflower in this. Did that make it a gin fizz? She swallowed.

Sipping her own drink, Lilly continued. "Was that Regina?"

Nodding, Emma said, "Yes, just giving me an update on the children. Like any responsible mother would want."

Lily huffed in disbelief. "Yeah, and just updating you on the kids, I bet. No flirting at all." She stared into the table at that, fingers trailing across the flat surface, blunt nails pausing against a crack in the wood.

Emma's heart softened as she took in her best friend. "Nah, no flirting," she promised. _At least not in this text._ It probably wasn't just in Emma's mind that Regina was flirting with her, was it? It seemed like she was, but perhaps that was just wishful thinking. That woman was just too gorgeous for someone like Emma, and yet there she was, spending her Friday night babysitting Emma's kids.

"But you like her," Lily dryly commented. Her eyes wavered, nervous, and a wrinkle crinkled at the corner of her mouth.

"Regina's… great," Emma finished. Great was a definite understatement, but what else could she say? She felt her phone vibrate in her purse and had to fight herself not to reach into it and read Regina's text immediately.

Lily's eyes were shimmering when she said, "I just think she's a little off is all." She returned her gaze to her drink, once more twirling the straw around, ice cubes clattering against the glass. "I mean, she comes out of nowhere, and don't get me wrong, Ems, I want you to be happy, but do you really think she's the person to go there with?"

With a sigh, Emma shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, Lily, right now I'm just…" she trailed off, searching for the right words, "Now I'm just really happy to be actually _feeling_ the urges to go there again, y'know? It's been so long, and I never once felt the urge or need to date someone, let alone hook up with someone, but Regina, she's just… different."

"Different?" Lily challenged, arching an eyebrow as she stared at Emma. "I can't say I'm not a little bit hurt on top of things, because you did promise me that whenever you _did_ feel ready to date, you'd let me know, and I just-" she cut herself off, lips straining and nose scrunching up as she drew in a deep breath, "Foolish me, you know? I thought that maybe this could be kinda like a date without it being totally like a date, because I sensed that perhaps you were ready for more, but I guess I'm just… already too late."

Frowning, Emma said, "Lily, you thought this was a-?"

Lily shrugged, "I don't _know,_ okay? But I definitely thought you'd give me the courtesy to tell me before you went ahead and started shagging someone else!" Her voice was raising slightly, and someone from the table next to theirs turned around and gave them a strange look.

Knowing first hand how Lily could be when she spiralled, Emma reached a hand forward and gently squeezed hers. "I'm not shagging Regina, Lily," she promised, no matter how much she might want to, "And I know what I promised you, and there was a time in my life where I would have _loved_ to date you, but right now I just… I guess I kinda see you more as a friend?" She swallowed loudly, letting her eyes meet Lily's, wishing desperately that she had not just ruined the only friendship – besides Regina's – that she had.

Sagging her shoulders, Lily let her hand stay in Emma's, "I know," she whispered, breaths coming out short, "I know, I know, I'm sorry I'm freaking out. She just gives me an odd vibe! But I want you to be happy, I do."

"I'm not even saying that I'm going to be dating Regina," Emma added with a sigh, "you're getting way ahead of yourself, Lily. We don't even know if she'd want to date me-" she was cut off by Lily's splutter of disbelief for a second, before she continued, "-and if we do, you'll be the first to know. Duh, you're my best friend." She squeezed her hand once more before letting it drop to the table. "And she doesn't give me an odd vibe at all, and remember – I do have a superpower, so I'd know if she was lying."

Lily stuck her tongue out at her, "Your superpower is dysfunctional."

Glaring at her, Emma took another sip of her drink. "You sound like Henry, but I swear, it's working. Regina's not lying to me. There might be some things she's not telling me, but everyone's allowed secrets, are they not? I haven't told her everything about my life, so…" she trailed off. The fact that Regina had not shared much about her past life with Emma was no a concern of hers. Even though she was curious about Regina's old life, about her son and his other mother, she felt like she could trust Regina. The other woman wasn't out to harm them, and she was allowed to have things she wasn't comfortable talking about right now. Emma could only hope that someday she would.

With an eye at Emma's almost empty drink, Lily continued. "It's not that I'm in love with you, Emma," Lily promised her, and Emma could tell that she wasn't lying – her superpower worked just fine, thank you very much – when their eyes locked together. "It's just – you and I only have each other, you know? And damn, I love your kids, and it would just… be so easy to fall into this with you. Easy and comfortable."

"I know," Emma whispered. And she might have even ended up doing just that eventually when Alba had grown a little older if she hadn't met someone else. But she _had_ and Regina was there, and damn, Emma was finding it very hard to not to think about her at all hours of the day.

"I support you," Lily promised, even though there was still a flicker of hurt and betrayal hidden in her eyes. Emma knew it would go away though, because this was Lily, and they had worked through tougher things than that. Like Lily lying to her about being an orphan and squatting together in a house until the police showed up. They were Emma and Lily, and they had once had matching stars marked on their wrists. Best friends forever and all that.

She arched an eyebrow, fingers itching to get to her phone. "Thank you."

Lily grabbed her glass. "I'm still wary of her though," she added for good measure. "I need to make sure she's good enough for my bestie and my godchildren."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Emma added, and eventually she couldn't stop herself any longer; she dipped her hand into her purse and pulled out a phone, ignoring Lily's smirk as she flicked open yet another text from Regina. It was only a little past midnight, and there was a lot of evening left if Emma wanted there to be, but something was pulling inexplicably at her, wanting to get back to her apartment, and it wasn't just to see her kids.

Regina had attached another picture. No words were needed; simply just her face, scrubbed clean of make-up, hair splayed around her head as she rested on the couch, a tired look in her eyes. The top of a book was visible in the shot, and her lips were curled slightly. She looked so damn beautiful; soft, sleepy and all together too irresistible.

"Oh my God, let's just go home already," Lily said with a heavy sigh, gulping down the rest of her drink quickly. She slammed the glass onto the table and slipped off her chair, "We can do this another time. Right now, I think you'd much rather get back home, yeah?"

Emma finished the rest of her drink too, slipping her jacket on and standing up. She clutched her purse. "Are you sure? I'm having a good time, I swear." And she _was,_ she so totally was, but oh damn, she wanted to get back to her apartment. The thought of Regina there was messing with her head, and she was slightly intoxicated, and the other woman was just the most stunning creature she had ever seen. She wondered, not for the first time, what it would feel like to run her tongue across her lips, dip it into that scar and bury herself inside of her.

Lily nudged her shoulder to Emma's, "I'm sure, Swannie, I'm good, I promise."

"I love you," Emma breathed, turning to smile at her friend, as she pulled her close to wrap her arms around her. "You're the best, Lily. I swear, I never meant to hurt you, and if I did, I'm really sorry."

Chuckling into her neck, Lily murmured, "I could've just listened the first time. It's just… I feel better when I'm with you, Emma," she pulled back, firmly locking her eyes to Emma's, "It's strange, but it's what drew me to you when we were young as well. My entire life's been shit, but whenever I'm with you, it gets… good-er. Somehow," she flinched at the non-word, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, "I guess I just wanted to tap into that some more. You're just good."

"I'm not that good," Emma whispered in reply, thinking of all the shit she had gotten into in her life, and how she had her son in prison of all places. Good was certainly not a word she'd use to describe herself. "But," she promised as she hooked her arm through Lily's, "I swear, you'll always have me. We sort of cancel each other out, don't you think?"

Nodding eagerly, Lily ordered an Uber and the two of them shared the car back to the front of Lily's apartment building. Emma hugged her friend goodbye, promising to call her in the morning, and Lily gave her this look – this smug look as she wriggled her eyebrows – and told her to 'be safe' like some kind of parental joke. Emma smacked the door behind her, and was dropped off five minutes later in front of her own apartment building.

She thanked her driver and staggered through the fence and into the building, wobbling from too much alcohol and her too-high heels, and she rode the elevator to the ninth floor. She hadn't told Regina that she was on the way back, and the butterflies were fluttering in her stomach, grating her nerves, as if she truly had something to be excited about it. She was just going home, but dang, if Regina wasn't going to be there looking all sleepy and stuff. And Emma just really wanted to see her. Perhaps in her tired mind there was a lot of other things that she wanted to do as well, and she was suddenly feeling her libido – something she hadn't experienced in what felt like forever – and she spent time fixing her hair and make-up in the mirror, even after the elevator had dinged and opened the doors on her floor. She kept pressing the button, willing the doors to stay open as she reapplied her lipstick and adjusted her dress.

 _Why am I doing this_?

Emma drew in a shaky breath and left the elevator, fidgeting nervously with her keys in front of her door for a few seconds, before she got a hold of herself. Steady breaths, shaky fingers, she slid the key into the lock and entered her apartment.

* * *

A/N: OK, so there we go! Whew, what a chapter to write (I loved it). I hope it was a good read? Anyway, I'm desperately trying to get at the right pace here, not wanting to rush things, but also not wanting to slow them too much down. It's just tricky, I think, because Emma and Regina are two such different places here. Regina remembers everything, knows all these things about their relationship, and Emma thinks she's just met Regina and she's a single mom with two kids, so what's she gonna do? Certainly not jump into anything head-first. So yeah, that's where my head is at, and hopefully that explains the pacing of this story so far.


	9. Chapter Nine: Feels Like Home

A/N: Sorry it has taken me awhile to get this chapter out, I got caught in writing a oneshot and then my best friend, whom I haven't seen in a year because she moved to Holland with her girlfriend, came to Denmark for a few days, so a lot of those were spent drinking too much wine and hanging out. I'm back writing though, wee!

* * *

 **CHAPTER NINE – FEELS LIKE HOME**

Regina sat up in the couch when she heard the key turn in the lock in the hallway. She'd been half-asleep, tired after having been up with Alba once and fallen asleep with Henry's boring book on top of her, and now she glanced briefly at the clock on the wall – thinking that it had to be at least three o'clock – but was surprised to see that it was barely one.

Was Emma coming home already?

She heard the tell tale sound of Emma's heels clicking down the hallway, and she rubbed her eyes as the book fell to the floor besides her with a thump. Emma's head poked around the corner, green eyes settling onto Regina immediately, a goofy smile plastered across her shimmery lips.

"Hi," the blonde softly said, and she leaned herself against the wall as she used it for support to slip out of her heels.

"You're home early," Regina commented, arms coming up to rest on the back of the couch as her tired eyes once more took in the sight of Emma in her black dress. She had not gotten less beautiful since she left earlier in the evening, she looked a bit more spent, but there was something cute about the curls slightly dishevelled and her bare feet on the wooden floors.

Emma disposed of her jacket and bag on the kitchen table and came to Regina's side, falling into the couch with a happy sigh. "I missed home," she replied, her fingers landing on the couch, stuck in the middle, between their two bodies as Regina twisted herself to face Emma.

She drew her legs underneath her body and said, "Well, it's not easy to leave your kid for the first time. I think you managed well considering."

"That's not even it," Emma breathlessly answered, and her green eyes trailed over Regina as she sat there next to her. "You look good in my clothes," was her next comment, and Regina realised at once that Emma was tipsy. There was a flush in her usually pale cheeks and her breath smelled of gin and something sweet.

Regina tugged at the t-shirt, "Alba spit up on mine."

Emma sighed, "I don't mind."

A silence erupted between them at that, comfortable but weird, and Regina wasn't sure if she was supposed to gather herself and head back home to her apartment, but something held her there; made her want to linger just a little while longer to see what was going to happen if she did.

"You're really sweet," Emma said next, suddenly, the words hitting the space between them with brute force as brown eyes snapped up to find clouded green ones. Regina's breath hitched in her throat, something warm settling like a blanket around her heart, "I think you're like the sweetest, most beautiful woman I have ever met," Emma continued, and her eyes were shimmering with want and honesty and too much alcohol.

Regina bit her lip. _God,_ she had wanted to hear those words cross Emma's lips so many times, and it did wonderful things to her heart, like make it warm and fussy and feel too tight inside of her chest. "I think you're really great too, Emma," she managed to whisper, and was it just her, or was Emma tilting just a little bit closer?

Pale fingers trailed over the grey cushion of the couch. "Where did you come from," she mused, "how did you end up in my apartment? It feels like," she stopped, fingers on Regina's knee, sending waves of longing and absolute want through the brunette's body, "it feels like I know you from somewhere, but I don't know you, because I would've _remembered,_ I _would've._ " She furrowed her brow, eyes trailing over Regina's body unabashedly, "But you're in here all the time," she flicked a finger to her temple with a stiff smile, "and I think," she added, an even more conflicted look on her face as her hand came to rest on top of her chest, "in _here_ too."

Oh goodness, how was this fair? Her Emma, her sweet and wonderful Emma who hadn't had a drink in months and was tipsy and cute, and absolutely beautiful, and Regina was supposed to be able to tell her _no_? She knew she couldn't do anything with Emma, not in this state, not even kiss her, because that would feel all kinds of wrong. She _wanted to,_ desperately, but it was never going to be fair to the other woman, who said things that made Regina realise that no matter how much Emma fell in love with her here, now, it was never going to be fair to her. Regina herself had so many memories, so much information, and if Emma _ever_ woke up – and gosh, Regina wished desperately that she would – she was going to feel violated and lied to and absolutely horrible. And Regina _couldn't do that to her._

"You're in here, too," Regina whispered as she reached for Emma's hand and placed it on top of her own chest. "I care about you so much, Emma," she whispered as she locked her gaze to Emma's, "You don't even understand how much."

Emma smiled, tilting slightly forward as her eyes fell closed. "You can show me how much," she suggested with a shy smile, and Regina _wanted_ to, so much, but _no._ No. She couldn't. Not right now.

Placing a hand on Emma's shoulder even if it nearly killed her, Regina said, "I'd love to, but," she arched her eyebrows, trying not to let Emma's confused and defied face deter her, "you have two kids in this apartment, you're slightly drunk, and… I'd like you to be sure. I don't want to be anything that you'll regret."

That would kill her. If turning down Emma's tipsy self wouldn't kill her, Emma regretting her most certainly would.

The blonde deflated, shoulders sagging and lips turning down. "Why must you be reasonable on _top of_ sweet," she grumbled, and Regina couldn't help but let out a throaty chuckle, because at least Emma wasn't mad at her.

"I'm glad you see it that way," Regina replied softly. Reaching an arm out, she urged Emma closer, "Come here for a second."

Emma's smile could have outshone even the cutest of Alba's baby-smiles, and the other woman slipped closer on the couch and snuggled into Regina's side, nestling her head in her armpit and draping a tired arm across her stomach. She sighed happily. "I'm pretty sure we must've known each other in another life or some shit," Emma breathed as she tried to stifle a yawn, "it just feels so _good_ with you. Like natural and nice and _damn_ you're so good with my kids. Do you know what that does to a mother's heart?"

Smiling down at Emma – whose eyes were so open and honest as she looked up at her – Regina wanted nothing more than to tell her everything. Absolutely everything. But she knew Emma – oh god, did she know Emma – and she remembered clearly the first time around; how much Emma's damaged heart and faith had kept her from believing; what it had taken for her to finally see the truth right in front of her eyes. And she knew that if she did tell her everything, Emma would push her away and reject her, because she was not a ten-year-old kid with a book full of stories. She also knew, more than anything, just how much a mother's heart could take when it regarded her children, and just how another person could worm their way in there as long as they loved her kid more than life itself. She didn't say any of that though, she simply said, "I know."

"You could be Alba's mother, too," Emma murmured into her chest, and Regina felt her heart skip a beat, "like, in a year or so, you could be. She'd call you mom, and Henry – it's probably, maybe, too late for him for that, but he'd love you like one, and we could just," she ran a finger across the fabric of the t-shirt, absentmindedly drawing a pattern that Regina could not make out, "we could just be happy."

"Perhaps," she whispered, but she tightened her hold around Emma's body all the same. "If you're still so inclined in a year."

Emma stared defiantly up at her, "I will be," she firmly said as she jutted out her jaw. "Alba even looks like you, and hell, I can't even _remember_ half the decisions I made leading up to her, and does that make me a terrible mother? I don't know, but when I was pregnant with her, I remember feeling so lonely, like…" she trailed off once more, eyes returning to her fingers on Regina's stomach, "like I was supposed to be sharing all this stuff with someone else."

With a throat as dry as parchment, Regina managed to say, "You never said."

Continuing, Emma crept even closer somehow; body flung around Regina's like a koala even in the black dress that made it somehow difficult. "It felt right to be pregnant with her, god, I'd never regret that, she's like, the cutest little spider-monkey, but damn if it didn't feel wrong to be there alone…" she trailed off, and all of a sudden it seemed like a light went on inside of her, and she sprang back, green eyes round, "Get _this,_ " she added, and she was off the couch before Regina could even question her, retrieving her purse from the kitchen, and Regina barely had time to miss the feel of her body pressed against hers, before Emma was back on the couch and pulling out her cell phone.

"What is it?" she softly questioned, eyes regarding Emma as the blonde scrolled on her phone.

"This!" Emma eagerly said and practically shoved the phone into Regina's face.

Staring down at the screen, Regina wasn't sure what she was supposed to be looking at; it was her text messages with Emma, she could tell, small conversations regarding the planning of tonight and the picture that she had sent her of the sleeping Alba. She paused, finger on screen as she stared down at something she did definitely not remember sharing with Emma. "What's this-?" she croaked out, raising her eyes to find huge green ones staring back at her.

"That," Emma said and pointed towards the phone, "that's some kind of fantastic serendipity or some shit. Stuff made of soulmates, Henry would say. See," she pointed towards the picture and Regina's eyes followed her – it was one of the horse mobile and the crib, clearly before Alba was born. "I sent that fucking picture to a number, almost on instinct, while I was pregnant with Alba, eager to share that with… I dunno, _somebody_ , and… all these months after," she ran a tired hand through her hair, "you have this number. What's that mean, Regina, huh?"

Staring down at the picture on the screen once more, Regina didn't know what to say. Emma was breathing heavily next to her, wired from all that excess energy, but Regina could do nothing but stare at the picture and the message beneath it – _This number is no longer in service_ – and then the message beneath that which simply said _Regina_. So many things hit her at once with this information, and the most prominent feeling of all was the fact that Emma had _missed_ her; Emma had needed her, even if she hadn't known it, and she'd tried to contact her unconsciously.

"Emma," Regina breathed and she looked up at the other woman, only somehow aware of the fact that tears were welling up in her eyes.

"If that doesn't mean something," Emma whispered, eyes so honest and open, "then I don't know what does, Regina, I-" she stopped talking, voice fading into nothing as she realised that Regina was crying, "Hey," she breathed, and her thumb was on Regina's face instantly, stroking away the tears, "don't be upset."

Regina let out a throaty chuckle, all too confused about all of her emotions at the moment. At how sweet Emma was being, and how this message made her feel, and god _You could be Alba's mother, too_ and she wanted that. She wanted Emma to remember everything, so she could gather up the three of them – her family – and take them back to Storybrooke, take them _home._ And she'd be Alba's mother, she'd be her mother like she was Henry's, love her everyday and protect her forcefully and make sure that she never felt as alone as Emma or she had ever felt. "I'm not upset," she smiled through her tears, raising a hand to tug Emma's away from her face. "I agree with you, it's a… coincidence," the word tasted ugly on her tongue, mostly because she knew it was a huge lie, "but I just got this number, so…"

Emma stared at her, eyes moving swiftly over her features, but she didn't say anything.

"You should probably go to bed," Regina said next and forced out another smile. She needed Emma to go to sleep, to fall into a slumber, so she could think about all of this information and make a plan as to what she was going to do next. She couldn't stand this much longer, she needed them to _remember._

Confused, Emma said, "What-?"

"I'll stay here," Regina added as she slipped off the couch and reached for the throw blanket on the chair, "in case Alba wakes up. I'll uh – I'll get her. You should just sleep it off."

Emma watched her, clearly not comfortable with leaving this conversation as it was, but clearly also realising that Regina needed time to herself. She pulled herself off the couch and padded silently towards the door to her bedroom. "Regina?" she breathed, one hand on the doorknob, back still turned to her.

Regina was fussing with the throw blanket and her couch bed. "Yes?"

"I'd never regret you," Emma whispered, still not turning to look at her, "No matter how drunk I was."

Warmth immediately filled Regina's chest, and she turned to find Emma still standing by the door, doorknob twisted down. "Goodnight, Emma," she whispered, brown eyes trailing down the other woman's body in fondness. How she longed to go with her, to curl up next to her and sleep – just sleep – with her by her side. But she couldn't. Someday, hopefully. Not yet.

Emma breathed, "Goodnight, Regina," before she slipped into the bedroom and closed the door.

—

Emma woke up to the wonderful smell of coffee, bacon and frying dough streaming through her closed door and into the bedroom. She was confused for a second – did Henry make breakfast again? His M.O. was usually eggs – but then she realised that she was inexplicably uncomfortable and looked down at herself to see that she was wearing her little black dress.

Oh right. She'd been out the night before.

And Regina was still in her apartment. _That explains the smells._

Emma grinned to herself and rolled over, straining her ears to figure out what was going on in her kitchen, and she was pretty sure she could hear the radio playing softly behind the excited chatter of Henry. Small babbles were to be heard as well, which meant that Alba was up – and oh, she'd slept through the entire night. Regina was seriously amazing.

Fumbling with her zipper as she was still laying down, Emma squirmed to get out of her dress and tried to recall the night before. She hadn't consumed that much alcohol, but it was a while since she'd even had a beer, so she had been pretty tipsy (which reminded her that she needed to pump again). What had happened when she got home? She's pretty sure she'd talked with Regina on the couch, but the memories were honestly a little fussy right now.

She rolled over on the bed and checked the time. _10:42am._ Damn, she'd slept in. She grinned into her pillow. Regina was just… so freaking incredible. She somehow remembered talking to Lily about Regina last night and coming to this conclusion also, which had prompted her to leave early. She sighed at the bubbling feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was an entirely strange feeling, but she was _crushing_ so hard on Regina, and she wasn't quite sure what to do about that. She didn't _crush_ anymore, not since before Henry, yet there she was, truly enamoured by the beauty currently moving around in her kitchen.

Emma rolled out of bed and rummaged around for a pair of fluffy socks and a big sweater. Her hair wasn't too bad, so she just pulled it into a bun and quickly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Looking at herself in the mirror – and yes, she was wearing nothing but panties underneath that sweater, but that was her usual attire, and Regina would just have to live with that – she decided that she was presentable. She creaked the door open and looked towards the kitchen, sneakily taking a glance at the two people she loved the most in the world along with the third one she was quickly growing way too fond of, too.

Henry had his nose buried in his notebook as he shovelled pancakes into his mouth – so that was the fried dough smell – and Regina was nipping at a cup of coffee while she bounced Alba on her knee and juggled a spoonful of stewed apples.

"Come on, Alba," she murmured, pressing her nose into the baby's dark hair, "your Ma will be so happy if you're fed when she wakes up, hm?"

"Bah, bah!" Alba replied, brown eyes round as she opened her mouth to accept another spoonful.

Emma entered the room at that, way too happy with the scene in front of her. She almost didn't want to interrupt it, but at the same time she wanted to be a part of it. "I'm pretty sure she's very pleased," she joked, and two heads turned to look at her as she padded across the floor.

"Ma," Henry greeted and she bent down to press a kiss to his head.

Regina's eyes trailed up Emma's bare legs – _score,_ Emma thought – as she said, "Good morning, Emma." There was a fond smile on her face, and her brown eyes shone happily as she looked back down at Alba, "Say good morning to your Ma, baby."

Alba grabbed a lock of her hair, "Maaah!"

Emma took a seat by the table at that, tucking her legs beneath herself on the chair and reaching forward to kiss Alba's cheek. "Is this decaf?" she asked as she pointed to the cup in front of the spare plate – undoubtedly set out just to be ready for her – where there was a spoonful of black powder at the bottom.

"Yes," Regina replied, while she guided another scoop of food into Alba's mouth.

"You're amazing," Emma replied as she poured water from the kettle into the cup. She stirred the spoon around and sighed happily. This was… so comforting. Domestic almost. Emma liked it. "How are you still here? You're like an angel or something. Did you spend all night on the couch?"

Regina offered her a shy smile, lips barely tugging upwards to form it. "Yes," she said, and her brown eyes ran over Emma's face, searching it almost involuntarily. "After you came home and we had quite the talk, I decided that perhaps there was still a need for a babysitter."

Emma glared at her playfully and reached forward to fork up some pancakes and bacon. She was hungry, famished, after all that alcohol last night. "Well, you could've helped me out of my dress. I'm pretty sure I'll have indentations on my back for _weeks_ from the zipper."

A soft gasp escaped Regina's mouth at that, and for a second Emma was confused because what she'd said was plainly normal, but then she _recalled_ what had happened last night – Emma almost confessing her stupid, silly crush on the other woman, and Regina reciprocating? Really? – and then her suggestion wasn't so plainly normal and innocent after all. Regina's cheeks were flushing slightly. "You didn't ask," Regina softly replied, almost apologetic.

"Drunk," was Emma's retort as she smirked and scooped a giant forkful of pancakes into her mouth. She held Regina's eyes for a second longer, before she turned to look at Henry, who'd been blatantly ignoring their conversation in favour or scribbling in his notebook. "Hey, what are you writing, Kid?"

Henry looked up, a faint moustache of hot chocolate marring his upper lip, which reminded Emma that he was still mostly a child. _Good._ "Regina was telling me about the town that she was mayor of. Storybrooke," he explained, looking to Regina for validation.

"Storybrooke," Emma tasted the word on her tongue. It sounded like something out of a fairytale.

Nodding eagerly, Henry continued, "Yeah! And so I couldn't help but think that if my fairytale characters ever came to _our_ land… they'd live in a town called Storybrooke." He glanced at Regina again, who was positively beaming at him. "So that's what I'm writing now," he finished, before stuffing his nose back into the notebook.

Emma nibbled on a piece of bacon, the salty goodness great for the thrumming in the back of her head. "So I could get used to this," she joked, eyes settling back on Regina and Alba across from her (and fuck, they really did resemble each other quit a lot. Those _eyes_ ), "Do you perhaps wanna be a live-in nanny? I can't afford you, but I'll repay you with sarcasm and hugs."

Rolling her eyes, Regina said, "What an offer, you truly know how to woo a woman."

"I should probably change her and pump," Emma sighed, motioning towards Alba who appeared to be done having breakfast.

Regina offered her a strained smile and carried Alba towards the nursery, Emma quickly following after her. Regina settled Alba onto the changing table as Emma carried the pump – still tucked inside her giant purse from yesterday – into the room. She settled into the rocking chair, wanting to get started, because Regina was already getting Alba out of her rompers.

The blonde watched her for a second as she hummed and cooed down at the baby. "Hey," she whispered at that, pump settled and making slight noises against her chest, "are we OK?" She paused, eyebrows furrowed as Regina turned to look at her, "I feel like I tried to hit on you last night?"

"You did," Regina softly replied, eyes turning back to Alba.

Emma continued, "I have a feeling that I should apologise. I can get very affectionate when alcohol is involved…" she trailed off, wishing desperately that she could know what was going on inside Regina's head at the moment; her shoulders had stiffened and her motions when cleaning Alba were almost robotic.

Regina sighed as she lifted Alba's butt to slide in a new diaper. "Your actions," she replied, still not looking anywhere but at Alba as she did up the diaper, "were sweet and not unwelcome. Although the timing might be a little lacking."

She sighed heavily in relief – she hadn't meant for it to be that loud, but it was kind of involuntary, and Regina turned to look at her with an amused sparkle in her eye. Emma groaned. "Yeah, I'm glad to hear you say that, so what?" She paused as she tried to convey to Regina that she wasn't just fucking around. "I kinda think you're really awesome, so."

"So?" Regina tried, arching an eyebrow.

"So I still want to kiss you," Emma replied, trying to ignore the sound of the pump and the fact that she was even pumping while she was having this conversation with the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. "Even sober," she added, for good measure.

Regina hummed in response. "Hm," she said, as she turned around to lift Alba off the changing table; done and ready for the day. "I'll go put her in the playpen and say goodbye to Henry. I need to get back home," she explained, brown eyes affectionately settling on Emma's face. "I'll call you later, OK?"

Emma nodded and bit her tongue, not wanting to say something stupid like _why don't you stay for a bit_ or perhaps _you can just hang out with us all day_ or anything else entirely. Instead she finished pumping, getting ready to dump everything into the sink, as she heard Regina disappear from the apartment with a goodbye to Henry. Not only did she physically leave them, but she left a sort of hole behind as well, something that Emma was starting to realise was distinctly Regina-shaped.

—-

Henry spent the day texting Troy and writing about Regina, the Evil Queen, and he thought a lot about Regina's advice from the day before. He hadn't really planned on talking to her about it, but he also knew that he'd never be able to talk to Ma about it, because _ew, that was just weird_ and Lily was great and all, but she would probably end up teasing him more than giving him usable advice. He still wasn't sure he was ever going to tell Troy about how he felt, because it kind of seemed like Troy might have a crush on Aisha, so Henry wasn't really sure he wanted to get into it.

But he felt better after what Regina said, because he knew now that even if he couldn't be with Troy, someone else would want to be with him eventually. Perhaps that's why Ma didn't just decide to be with Lily, even if Lily was right there and wanted to be with her; maybe Ma was just waiting for someone else instead.

Someone like Regina maybe.

Which was kind of why he decided to talk to Regina in the first place, because he could kind of tell that she was crushing really big on his Ma. Grown-ups never thought he knew these things, they always thought that they could hide it, but he knew. He could tell. Regina was crushing on his Ma, and his Ma was crushing back, even if she was being stupid and slow about it. But Regina knew what she was talking about, right? Liking his Ma and stuff, so that was why he'd decided to just talk to her.

He really wouldn't mind if Regina started dating Ma. It'd be like a real family maybe. And Henry was pretty sure that Ma would be happier than ever if Regina became a part of their family.

It was kind of weird what had happened with that song yesterday though, because Ma wasn't really a singer at all, but Henry remembered a beautiful singing from when he was a kid. Almost like Regina's. But that was impossible, right? It was probably just someone from that home they stayed at.

He enjoyed writing about Storybrooke though. He wrote about a clock tower where the clock didn't move and about a place called Granny's that made the best grilled cheeses. He even wrote about the town psychiatrist (who was really Jiminy Cricket) and who had a Dalmatian named Pongo. In his story, the psychiatrist was trying to help Regina be better and not so evil anymore. It was going kind of okay, he thought.

Henry ventured into the kitchen in the afternoon, wanting to get some snacks to keep him sated until dinner. Alba was napping in a nest on the couch – tugged safely from falling down by lots of pillows and blankets like his Ma always did – and Ma was sitting on the floor next to the couch with her legs crossed and her computer balancing on top of them. He peeked over her shoulder, curious.

"What ya' up to?"

Ma practically jumped right into the air, "Fuck Kid, wear a bell or some shit," she said, and she'd changed her contacts to her glasses which she usually did when she was tired.

Henry's eyes scanned over the page she was reading. It was the google search result for… wait. Storybrooke? "Are you trying to find out about Regina's hometown?" Henry cheekily grinned, and he couldn't help but be pleased with that. If Ma was reading about Regina's hometown, it meant she was curious about her, too.

Ma's eyes returned to the screen, lips downturned in a displeased way. "Yeah, I was…" she slammed the lid down, closing the computer with a huff. "But nothing comes up. I can't find anything about a town named Storybrooke and a mayor named Regina Mills." She turned to him again, and he saw how her eyes were narrowed, "It's weird, Kid, with my skill, I should've been able to find a fuck-load of stuff, ya know?"

Slipping onto the floor next to her, Henry nodded. He knew that his mother was good at finding people and researching; that was kind of how she'd made a living for them, how she could afford this nice apartment that wasn't the least bit cheap in a city like New York. "Yeah but… maybe it's just a really small town, Ma? Regina said it was."

She nodded, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth for a few seconds as Alba made a sound behind them. "Yeah, perhaps…"

"You don't look convinced," Henry replied. He didn't want his Ma to be suspicious about Regina, because she was a _good one_. Not shady, or stupid, or someone out to hurt them. And he _liked Regina._ So much.

Ma forced a small smile. "No, I _believe_ her," she said, and Henry could tell that she did, because he could always tell with her, "My superpower's only pinged _once_ with her, and that had nothing to do with this," she assured him.

Henry stuck his tongue out at her. "Your superpower," he teased. He'd stopped believing in her superpower a year ago, and that wasn't going to change no matter how much she tried to get him to still trust it. He wasn't _eight_ anymore.

"Shut up," Ma retorted and ruffled his hair. "No, whatever it is, Regina's telling the truth. She's _from Storybrooke._ I just… I don't know why I can't find anything about it."

Bobbing his head, Henry leaned himself against Ma's shoulder, wanting to stay with her for just a little while longer. Troy and the Evil Queen could wait. Right now, it was just him and Ma because Alba was sleeping. "Regina's really great, don't you think," he murmured into her arm, snuggling a bit closer, which he would never, ever want his friends to know.

Ma wrapped an arm around his shoulder and pulled him further against her body. "I think so, Kid, yeah," she confirmed, and Henry could tell she was smiling.

"She kind of fits with our family, don't you think?" Henry continued to prod, determined to figure out if his Ma was being deliberately obtuse or if she knew about the feelings she was clearly harbouring. "I mean… It's like, better when she's here. And you know what?"

"What," Ma teased, eyes shining happily.

"I haven't had a weird dream in a really long time. Ever since she came here," he revealed. He'd thought about it, but he hadn't really done the math, not before this morning when he realised that his weird, abstract dreams about weird places and people he'd never met had stopped the second he'd met Regina. Perhaps it meant that she was really supposed to fill out this space that was previously unoccupied. At least Henry thought that it meant that.

Ma seemed to think about it for a second or two, like she was also trying to rake her brain to see if the math fitted. Her green eyes met his. "Me neither," she breathed, eyes shining.

Henry chuckled. "You know…" he begun, and Ma was listening carefully, observant and on him with rapt attention. "I wouldn't be _mad_ if you wanted to date Regina," he softly suggested, not wanting to push Ma too far, because that would probably have the opposite of the desired effect.

"Oh really? You wouldn't?" Ma retorted, but she didn't look mad. She looked pleased, and Henry was glad that he had said it.

"No."

Ma sighed heavily and tugged him closer, squeezing him to her for a sideways hug. "Kid, I don't think I'd mind either, but…" pressed a kiss to his forehead, "I've got you two kids to think about, and I know you like Regina, but I can't just jump into things. She has to want it and be sure, and so do I."

Henry thought that it was kind of silly and really stupid and grown-up to think of things that way, but he guessed he also kind of understood it a little bit. At least after his talk with Regina last night, he felt a little more secure about love and what it meant to be a grown-up. He nodded his head, "Yeah, I guess."

Pressing another kiss to his hair, Ma said, "So! Do you wanna got to the park before dinner? I think we could all use some fresh air."

* * *

A/N: If all goes according to plan, next chapter will take a leap forwards. Let me know what you think!


	10. Chapter Ten: Storybrooke Revelations

**CHAPTER TEN – STORYBROOKE REVELATIONS**

"I just can't seem to find anything on babies between two women," Belle sighed and closed her book, turning to look at Mary Margaret with an apologetic smile. "I mean, there was one story where it might have been implied – two witches residing in Wonderland – but there's no real account for it."

Mary Margaret furrowed her brow and looked at all the books spread out on the tables in the back of the library. Belle and Mulan – and sometimes Ruby when she wasn't busy at the diner – had taken over at least half of the space, and Belle had notes lying everywhere, comments and reminders scribbled in her neat cursive handwriting. "Maybe it's just our minds telling us something that isn't true," Mary Margaret said with a soft sigh as she took a seat next to Ruby, who was busy slurping her iced coffee. "I mean, perhaps we just want it to be true, so we're making things up?"

"Nope," Ruby shook her head, strands of brown and red sweeping around her, "Nuh-uh, I refuse to believe that. The kid is _Regina's,_ I'm sure of it. The resemblance is too uncanny."

Mulan nodded, "I completely agree. We've just… not found the right explanation yet."

Reaching for a random book on the table, Mary Margaret said, "But perhaps Emma can clear everything up. If they do remember soon. I just don't understand what's taking Regina so long…" She stared at Mulan, eyes beseeching, "Do you know?"

With an awkward shuffle, Mulan closed the book she'd been reading, "I think that… That Regina's been a little reluctant to get the hairs, you know?"

Ruby rested her head in her hand, "Oh really? And why's that?"

"I just think she likes it there," Mulan softly replied, brown eyes turning to look at Belle for a brief second. The other woman was not really listening, buried in an encyclopaedia kind of book about magical places. "It's not… She's lonely, I think, when she's not with them. But she told me that Emma doesn't have a girlfriend and it was all a big misunderstanding. And she says that-"

"She says that what?" Mary Margaret asked, suddenly afraid to hear the answer, because what if something had gone wrong? What if she'd already tried the potions and they hadn't worked? It had been a few days since Regina had last contacted her, too busy hanging out with Henry, she'd said.

Mulan stared at her, eyes shimmering with emotion. "She says that they're happy there. Henry and Emma and Alba. That they have a great life, and that Henry has so many friends. And that maybe she could be happy too," Mulan finished, eyes diving to the table.

Mary Margaret swallowed loudly. "But… she can't do that. Emma's my _daughter_."

"She knows that," Mulan replied gently, and not for the first time did Mary Margaret wonder what was up with this fierce loyalty that Mulan had suddenly grown towards Regina, "and she'd never not do what we agreed to do, I just think…" she trailed off, eyes coming up once more to look at Mary Margaret, "I just think that she wishes she could be selfish and let Emma fall in love with her despite everything."

Ruby whistled lowly. "The old Regina would've done that."

Mulan said, "She's not the old Regina anymore."

"Neverland!" Belle suddenly quipped, finger pointed excitedly at a page in the book she was reading. Apparently she was at the N's already. "Neverland is a magical place," she continued to say as her eyes looked up from the pages.

Ruby arched an eyebrow, "Uhm yeah? That's kinda how kids don't grow up. And Pan is kinda how we're in this mess to begin with."

Mary Margaret nudged her best friend with her elbow. "What about Neverland, Belle?"

Belle looked back into the book, reciting, " _Neverland is a magical realm. It is not known what kind of magic fuels the place-_ "

"Heart of the truest believer," Ruby interjected.

"- _but it is a place where magical things have been known to happen. There's no need for sorceresses, magic beans or pixie dust, the magic grows in the trees and runs in the rivers. Powerful beings have been known to become even more powerful, and the deepest wishes and desires of someone's heart have been known to come true_." She finished, looking up at them once more with an excited smile. "Don't you see?"

Mary Margaret cleared her throat. "I'm not sure I'm following your thoughts, Belle."

Belle's smile lit up the entirety of the secluded nook they were currently in as she said, "Neverland is a magical place, yeah? You guys were _there._ For a while. And both Regina and Emma are magical beings, powerful magical beings." She shook her head to herself, eyes turning back to the page, " _…the magic grows in the trees and runs in the rivers,_ don't you see? It happened at Neverland!"

Still not entirely sure what Belle was referring to, Mary Margaret had to ask, "What happened at Neverland?"

With a sigh, Ruby leaned her head closer to Mary Margaret's ear and said, "You know the, uh… the _sex_ between, uh… Regina and Emma. Between, you know, your once mortal enemy and your daughter."

Freezing, Mary Margaret stared at Ruby with narrowed eyes, and Mulan softly said, "Is she okay?"

"I'm sorry," Ruby cackled, holding on to Mary Margaret's shoulder to shake her, "it's just that while Snow really likes the idea of having another grandchild and for Emma and Regina to have a child together, her brain sort of blows a fuse every time it occurs to her that for that to be true Emma and Regina will have had to have sex."

"Don't talk about that!" Mary Margaret shrieked, and she had to restrain herself from putting her fingers into her ears. "I don't want to think about _that_ ," she paused, "What I do wanna think about is my _granddaughter._ "

Mulan bit her lip to hold back a smile, "Belle, please continue."

Belle offered her a soft smile, "Well, there's not much more to say-" she sighed, eyes back in the book, "You guys were at Neverland, and if uh," she paused, eyes flickering, "if Emma and Regina were _together_ there, who knows what could have happened? Like I said, it's a really powerful magical realm, and they are two powerful witches. Perhaps they created a baby by sheer magic?"

Nodding her head, Mary Margaret thought about that for a second or two. It did sound _plausible_ , and she didn't know as much about magic and realms as Belle did, but Neverland had been an odd experience. While they'd tried their hardest to try to find Henry as quickly as possible and not die while doing it, there had been some odd tensions in the group. She'd thought briefly that Hook might have been interested in Emma, but she realised now that that was very unlikely. Perhaps Regina and Emma had had more going on – between the two of them – than Mary Margaret had really noticed? She'd been kind of busy worrying about Henry and everything.

"The book did say that it grants wishes and desires," Ruby mused at that, breaking Mary Margaret's train of thought.

"Huh?" Belle said.

"Yeah," Ruby added, nodding her head and sipping the iced coffee next to her, "you know, your book said that it grants wishes and desires, and I just thought…" She shrugged, taking yet another sip as Mary Margaret held her breath, "What if they you know, did the deed, and uh, one or the two of them were thinking _oh dang, I wish I could give Regina another kid_ or, you know, _I really wish I had the power to impregnate Emma, because I want to have a family,_ and then uh… it happened." Ruby stopped talking, straw perched against her lips as the other three women looked at her in mild shock. "What?"

Mulan was the first to say something. "It's actually not that far of a stretch," she whispered, brown eyes trailing to Mary Margaret, "I mean – Regina _wants_ that with Emma. So bad. I believe she's wanted it for a while. Perhaps she did at Neverland, too."

Belle smiled at that, wrapping an arm around Mulan's shoulders to tug her in for a sideways hug. "Perhaps she's her True Love," she sweetly mused.

Mary Margaret had been about to say something about Regina wanting to have a family with Emma – and she was going to revisit those news soon – but she paused at the words Belle had just said. "True Love's Kiss," she whispered, and suddenly it felt like there was this nervous energy in her body, like maybe _that_ was the solution to everything.

Ruby questioned, "True Love's Kiss?"

Continuing, Mary Margaret was eager to explain herself, because this made sense. "True Love's Kiss," she said once more, as she leaned forward on the table, knuckles turning white, "If they share True Love, shouldn't they be able to break any curse?"

Gaping at Mary Margaret, Belle said, "That's what True Love's Kiss is."

"So if they're True Loves, shouldn't they be able to break _this_ curse with a kiss?" Mary Margaret added, and Belle closed her book with a thud.

"Oh dang," Ruby breathed as she slurped her coffee.

—-

Regina really didn't want to talk to Mary Margaret, but she'd been dodging her calls for three days – only speaking to Mulan because at least she wasn't such an insipid idiot – but she knew she had to take this one. The younger woman had been nothing if not persistent all day, calling every twenty minutes or so, apparently all too eager to speak with Regina.

She'd just been so consumed in thoughts of Emma and Henry and Alba, but mostly Emma because _Emma wanted to kiss her._ And it was such a silly thing to be so caught up in, and Regina hated herself a little bit for it, but she couldn't help it. Even without her memories, Emma wanted to kiss her; even without alcohol, Emma wanted to kiss her. It had been so hard to resist her that night on the couch, it would have been so easy to just fall into her, like they had before, but Regina simply couldn't do that to her. She knew what it felt like to be forced into something, and even though this was hardly the same, she didn't want Emma to feel lied to or tricked.

She toyed with the idea of asking Emma out on a date though, because the desire was just so big. She could take her out – perhaps just share one kiss, that could hardly make anyone mad – and see what it was like to date Emma in this world, away from Storybrooke and memories. It was self-indulgent and probably not something she should allow herself, but just _one date_ could hardly harm anyone, right? And then she'd give them the potions and they could go back. She knew she couldn't stall it much longer, and not only because Mary Margaret refused to leave her alone.

The phone ran again and Regina took a seat on the small couch, telling herself to get this conversation over with. She pressed the green button and said, "Hello Snow."

"Regina, finally!" Mary Margaret breathed, and she sounded so relieved that Regina felt a tiny bit of guilt sweep over her – but only just a tiny bit, no need to get emotional – and the other woman continued. "We've been trying to reach you all day!"

"We?" Regina sighed, not really sure if she would be able to have this conversation if the other half of the Two Idiots was there as well.

"Hi Regina," Mulan chipped in from the other end of the phone, and she heard Belle's unmistakable accent and Ruby's "Whassup Evil Queen, conquered any realms lately?" as well as David's soft greeting.

Regina bit her cheek, telling herself not to laugh as she flicked a piece of lint off her blazer. "No, not yet today Miss Lucas, but the night is still young, so we shall see."

Ruby laughed, "I like the sound of that!"

With a sigh, Regina continued, "So what is this all about? You've been rather persistent in your attempts to contact me, Snow."

Mary Margaret hummed. "Well, first I'd like to say that I understand that it must be hard for you and that you have reasons for dragging this out-" Regina opened her mouth to object to that, but Mary Margaret was on a roll, "-but Emma is my daughter, and I want her home, and I know it must be tough on you, but we all miss them."

"I know," Regina sighed, and Mary Margaret had probably not expected her to agree so quickly, because she hitched in a gulp of air.

"You do?"

Regina huffed. "Of course I do. I've been stalling because I enjoy seeing Emma and Henry so carefree and unbothered. And yes, I did toy with the idea of not giving them the potions at all and just staying here, but I'd never do that to you, Snow. Despite everything, I thought you knew that."

Mary Margaret softly said, "I do know that. Thank you, Regina."

"You're welcome," Regina stiffly replied.

David said, "So are you going to get the hairs soon or what's the plan?"

Regina stared at the two vials on her kitchen table, one almost see-through and the other a clear blue liquid, and she felt her heart break a little bit, because she _knew_ she had to tell them. "I already have the hairs," she said, her eyes trailing to the two labels on the vials. _Emma_ the see-through one said, and _Henry_ the blue one said. "I retrieved them a while back when I was at Emma's apartment. The potions are ready, I've just…"

"Been stalling," Mulan softly offered, and Regina's heart soared because she was such an understanding person.

"Look Regina, we get it," Mary Margaret said, and Regina was pretty sure that she meant it, even if she could also most definitely tell that the other woman was happy to hear that the potions were ready. "Just promise me that you'll do it soon, OK?"

Regina didn't need to actually say the words, she just nodded into the empty apartment and stared at the two vials. It had been so easy; she'd grabbed a piece of blonde hair from Emma's brush and a piece of brown hair from Henry's brush, and when she got home to her apartment later, she'd put them into each a vial and watched the colours change.

Clearing her throat, Belle's voice broke through the phone. "We've also been doing some research actually," she offered, and Regina had wondered why both Belle and Ruby was present at this conversation, but who could ever tell why with the Charmings. "Research about, uh, Neverland and … True Love?"

"Yes?" Regina questioned. She had no idea why they'd do anything like that, but they must have their reasons. Even if they were probably foolish. She did count on Mulan to keep things sane though, so that was something.

"This is going to be a really awkward question," Belle continued, insecurity lacing her every word, "but uh, Regina, did you and Emma, uh…"

Regina rolled her eyes to the empty apartment, "Spit it out, Miss French!"

Ruby babbled, never one for patience or tact, "Did you and Emma fuck at Neverland?"

There was a silence at that, and Regina had to take a second to really think about the question that Ruby had just asked her. She could practically hear Mary Margaret's head explode over the phone, and if not for the sheer invasion of personal space she would have probably enjoyed that visual a bit more. Perhaps David appeared to gape like a fish out of water, which she would also very much had liked to see. Instead she grumbled, "Excuse me? Why do you think you're allowed to ask me such a question? Oh, the audacity! I am your _queen,_ Ruby Lucas, and I will not stand to be spoken to this way. It is such an invasion of privacy!"

"Just answer the question, Regina," Mulan softly offered, and Regina was pretty sure that there was slight amusement in her voice.

Regina's spare hand fisted itself into the fabric of her shirt. "I am done with this conversation," she said and moved to hang up the phone. However, she was stopped by the next words coming out of Mary Margaret's mouth in a rushed shriek.

"We think Alba might be yours!"

A silence came upon them, and someone was breathing heavily on the other end – probably Mary Margaret, once more about to explode – and Ruby was hissing under her breath. Regina just stared at the phone in her head, not quite sure if she'd heard correctly. They thought Alba might be-? She frowned and raised the phone back to hear ear. "Explain yourself," she demanded, while she tried desperately to get her heart under control. It was beating madly inside of her chest, so strangely wild that she had never felt anything like it. A tingle had overtaken her body and she just sat there, the words running through her mind like a wildfire. _We think Alba might be yours. We think Alba might be yours._

"Neverland is a magical realm," Belle begun, and it sounded like she had swallowed an encyclopaedia. "You and Emma are both powerful magical beings. So if you were – uuuuh – together when you were there, Neverland might have blessed you with its magic."

Regina didn't say anything. She just stared into space as she thought about Neverland and whispered truths, Emma's hands on her beneath the starry night and _we think Alba might be yours._

"Regina," David gently broke in at that, "we're not going to be mad or angry or anything, we just want to know if it's even possible."

Mulan added, "It's just that… Alba kind of looks a lot like you."

 _We think Alba might be yours._

"We were," Regina breathed at that, suddenly finding her voice even though her throat was dry as parchment and her hands were shaking. "Emma and I were… _together…_ in Neverland." She paused, the words repeated themselves inside of her mind – _We think Alba might be yours –_ "You really think she's mine?"

Mary Margaret appeared to have finally found her voice again, "We think so Regina. The timing is right, isn't it? And it'd make so much more sense. The curse and your magic wouldn't have known what to do with a child because you didn't know that Emma was pregnant, so it just sort of filled out the holes itself." She paused to breathe, voice still eager, but soft and gentle, "You did say that Emma's memories about the conception were kind of vague, right?"

Swallowing, Regina said, "They're very vague."

"Neverland can do this," Belle determinedly said, "Neverland could have done this for you two."

 _We think Alba might be yours._ Regina bit her lip and thought of that night, of how everything had felt so absolutely right, and mostly she thought about the things that had run through her mind as she'd been with Emma; she'd thought about them getting Henry and going back to Storybrooke and being a _family._ A family that she wouldn't have minded growing bigger. And she thought of the love she'd felt for Emma, although almost unspoken, it had filled every part of her, and she'd _wished._ Wished deeply that it wasn't just a moment of weakness in the hot Neverland night but the truth. Oh Goodness, had she created Alba from a deep desire to have Emma and Henry and be a family?

"Regina?" Mary Margaret softly queried, her voice barely audible over the phone.

"Yes?"

"Listen to your heart," Mary Margaret continued, and Regina was pretty sure there were tears in her eyes at this point, because when was there not with her, "look inside of yourself… Is Alba yours?"

Pictures of Alba flew through Regina's mind at that; her smiling face, her brown eyes, her tufts of hair. Her small temperament and the way she hardly looked like Emma or Henry except that cute Swan nose. She tried to recall herself from when she was younger as she thought of Emma's stories about insemination and choosing a donor. She thought of the couple at the restaurant who'd just _assumed_ without any context that Regina was Alba's mother. She swallowed loudly. "Yes," she replied, and never had anything felt as good as it did right then, when she accepted the truth that had been staring her in the face since she arrived in New York.

A sigh of relief was heard on the other end of the phone and Ruby cheered loudly. "That's it," she whooped, "that girl's gonna be a looker!"

"And a troublemaker," David interjected with a fond laugh.

Regina could feel tears trail down her face as her hands trembled. She knew that she was right, she knew that this was the truth, and yet there she was – not quite able to believe it anyway. Alba. Hers? It was too good to be true. She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do now," she revealed, because there were so many things she wanted to do, but she couldn't very well do any of them.

Mulan said, "You should give them the potions, Regina. As soon as Emma remembers she'll be able to confirm this for you and you can be with them," she paused, " _you can really be with them._ "

"We think you might share True Love," Mary Margaret added, as a matter of fact. "But the potions are a safer bet, so you should go with that."

Regina felt her heart clench. "True Love may be a bit of a stretch," she replied, and she thought of Daniel and how she had felt with him, even though that was such a long time ago. True Love was rare, so she wasn't going to pretend that her and Emma sharing that was even plausible. Even though the idea was very appealing, she did not think that she'd ever be good enough to share that kind of love with Emma Swan.

Mary Margaret tittered, "Who knows."

"Regina!" Ruby broke in at that, her voice strained with laughter and happiness across the phone, "What are you still doing on the phone with us? Don't you have a kid to go see?"

"Yes," Regina said at that, suddenly having a very big desire to take the elevator to the ninth floor and knock on the door to the Swan apartment, "yes, I do. Thank you Ruby."

David said, "Call us later!" just as Regina hung up the phone and grabbed her purse from the table. As she had told Ruby, the night was still young, so the three Swans were probably going to be hanging around after dinner; Henry doing homework or playing a game, Alba in the playpen and Emma on the computer or doing housework. She smacked her apartment door close and reached the elevator, pressing the button impatiently as she tripped on her feet.

Alba was hers. She was _sure_ of it. So many things made sense when she decided to look at it like that; not only the timing and the resemblance, but also the _feelings._ Those inexplicable all-consuming feelings she had experienced since she had gotten to know the girl. Those feelings that she tried to explain away by saying it was because it was Emma's daughter, they now made more sense. It wasn't because she was Emma's daughter – although that was amazing as well and would surely have been enough – but it was because she was _her daughter._ Alba was hers. And Regina just wanted to kiss her and hug her close.

She didn't think Emma would mind.

The elevator pinged, and Regina was knocking on the door in two seconds flat. She could hear shuffling on the other side, Emma dragging her feet as she came to see who was there, and Regina was trying really hard to appear calm as the blonde woman opened the door and stared at her in surprise.

"Regina, what's up-?" was all she managed to get out, confusion adorably written across her face as it so often was.

Regina smiled brightly at her, only one goal in mind. "I just need to-" she said, before she brushed past Emma into the apartment. She threw her purse on the table and immediately located Alba in the playpen, just where she had thought she would be. She leaned over, scooping her up and tried not to shake with sobs as she pressed the baby to her chest and buried her nose in her hair.

 _My daughter. I have a daughter._

She knew she was crying and that her behaviour would seem strange, but she allowed herself this for just a second more. She cradled the girl who was looking up at her happily, big eyes round and curious, and she pressed a kiss to her forehead, savouring the feeling of holding her in her arms. _Her child._ Her beautiful little Alba. And as Regina lifted her head slightly, awkwardly brushing her cheeks off in her own sleeve as well as possible, she stared down at the girl in her arms in complete wonder.

Her and Emma had made that. They had created this wonderful human being by sharing something so profound and special. _We created this,_ she thought, and that would never not be amazing to her _._ By magic, by unspoken desire, perhaps by something else entirely, she and Emma had created this wonderful little human in her arms, whom Regina already loved inexplicably and wanted to protect fiercely. _Hers._

"I love you," she whispered and pressed a kiss to her cheek, once more breathing in the wonderful scent that was entirely Alba.

She was broken out of her slight trance by a chuckle from the kitchen. She turned to find Emma watching her with an amused, sheepish smile as she moved around, getting out mugs and tea bags. "Not that Alba doesn't like your greeting, because I'm sure she does," she begun as she filled the kettle with water, "and you're always welcome here, but… What brought this on?"

Regina smiled fondly at Emma, not entirely sure how to even approach her. This little human in her arms was the product of both of them, and it was wondrous to Regina, because she was their mix; entirely Regina and Emma, and so blessed with love. And this woman across from her in the kitchen – she was now the reason that Regina had _both_ of her kids. Sure, she might not have them right now, rhetorically, because they didn't know, but they both existed because of Emma, and that just made Regina love her even more. "I just missed her," Regina replied, taking another whiff of her hair.

"That baby-smell is pretty addicting," Emma laughed as she put the kettle on and rested herself against the counter, "Soon they'll grow up and start smelling like gross teenagers, so you better savour it."

Henry groaned, "I heard that, Ma," he said as he looked up from some of his school books. "Hi, Regina. Can you help me with math?"

Regina chuckled, loving this display of familiarity, loving how she fitted so perfectly into it without them even knowing that she truly belonged there. It was domesticity at its finest, exactly what Regina had dreamt of, except it was even better – Alba was in her arms. Sweet, wonderful Alba, babbling away and curling her fingers around Regina's necklace.

"Kid, Regina came to see Alba, not you," Emma continued to tease Henry, sticking her tongue out at him.

He stuck his tongue out right back, erasing something on his paper. "You suck."

Regina moved towards the kitchen, Alba still cradled in her arms, and only when she took a seat next to Henry did she realise that Emma had automatically found three mugs in the cupboard and dumped Regina's favourite tea into one of them. She assumed – because it was the most logical thing to assume – that the third mug wasn't for Alba, and it warmed her heart how Emma figured that she might as well get some tea now that she was there anyway. "I always want to see both you and Alba, Henry," she murmured and ran a hand through his brown hair.

Henry beamed at her, before turning to Emma. "See," he firmly said, before dumping his eraser and grabbing his pencil again.

"What about me," Emma whined childishly as Regina glanced at Henry's homework, Alba wriggling madly in her arms. This girl was going to be crawling all around this apartment before they both knew it, and Regina quickly scanned the area to make sure that Emma was on top of things. But of course she was – everything appeared to be baby-proofed.

"I always wanna see you, too," Regina assured Emma, as the blonde woman started pouring the hot water into the mugs. "You need to check question number nine," she added for Henry's benefit, and he groaned as he moved back to the question.

There was a soft smile on Emma's face as she looked up from the mugs, red tinting her cheeks. "Really?"

"Yes," Regina assured her, and she stared at her once more, as she moved towards the table with the cups, somehow balancing all three of them; her tongue was poking out as she concentrated, and Regina just _loved._ She loved so much that she could hardly take it. And she wanted, too, wanted so badly, and she hoped that Emma did as well, even when she remembered. She just wanted to be close to her, to feel her and love her, and never let go. Even before the potions, just right now. Yesterday. Forever.

Emma stared at her, a curious smile on her face, as she sat the mugs down. "What," she breathed, eyes shimmering happily.

"Go on a date with me," Reinga whispered as she buried her nose once more in Alba's hair.

* * *

A/N: Gah, okay. So I hope you liked that! A bit of info, so you guys know where I'm at. Originally, at chapter ten in my outline, we were supposed to be a bit further ahead than we are now (at least by two or three chapters). Poor planning on my part, I guess, BUT. Sometimes characters just do not do what you want them to. Which is why this revelation with Alba has already happened at this point (in my original outline, it wasn't supposed to), so now I'll need to do some planning before I can write the next chapter up for you guys. Characters just have a mind of their own, I guess, but I'm quite liking where I'm at anyway, so hopefully everything will still continue to run smoothly. Thanks for sticking with me!


	11. Chapter Eleven: Courting Emma Swan

**CHAPTER ELEVEN – COURTING EMMA SWAN**

It was kind of amusing to watch Emma Swan all nervous and fidgety. It wasn't something that Lily had really experienced since they became friends this second time around; when they were younger, she did tend to get a bit goofy around Lily herself – probably because of the crush – but she'd always been a cool cat with Lily since they reconnected.

Tonight was something entirely different though, and Lily was enjoying the show.

"Oh shit, what if she takes me somewhere fancy, and I don't know which fork to use-" Emma babbled as she ran from the bathroom towards her bedroom; she walked kind of funny due to the fact that she only had one heel on, and the other lay discarded, oddly enough, on the couch next to Lily. "Fuck, where did I put my heel? Are you sure this dress is good enough?"

Lily kicked back in the couch, trying really hard not to laugh at her friend. She had a beer in her hand and Alba on her stomach, and this shit was better than primetime tv. "The dress is hot, Swannie," she replied. It was the fifth one she had tried on. Originally she had opted for dress number three, but then Alba spit up on her, and Emma had discarded the kid on Lily's stomach and gone back to her closet. "Don't Mamma look hot, Alba?"

"Mah!" Alba agreed, drool trailing down her chin.

Emma paused by the kitchen table. "Are you sure this is okay though? You don't mind? If anything happens, you call me instantly!" She rummaged through her purse, green eyes unblinking. "Henry has to get off the video games by seven so he can do his homework, and there's bottles and jars for Alba in the fridge, and where _the fuck_ is my heel?"

"Couch," Henry chipped in from his seat in front of the television.

Grumbling, Emma funny walked across the room to grab her heel from the soft cushion. "You could've _said,_ " she snarled at Lily as she leaned against the armrest to slip the heel on. She paused after, eyes locking to Lily's, "Are you _sure_ this is OK?" she asked for what was probably the millionth time since Lily arrived 45 minutes ago. "Like, I can still cancel, it'll suck but-"

Lily cut her off. She nudged Emma's hand with her foot and said, "I will take care of your adorable offspring, Swan," she promised, her eyes meeting Emma's seriously. "And don't worry about the time. If you need to get some for the first time in forever, feel free to do so. I'll stay the night."

Emma glared at her. "I'm not going to _get some_."

"Just sayin' it'd be OK if you did," Lily teased her, before she took a swig of her beer and placed it on the floor next to the couch. She reached her fingers forward and tickled Alba's tummy.

Henry paused his game and turned to stare at Lily questionably as Emma ventured into the hallway to figure out which jacket to wear. "What's Ma gonna get?" he asked, brow furrowed.

Biting her lip, Lily said, "Henry-"

" _Oh,_ " Henry made a face and turned back to the tv screen, "sex. Ew. Don't talk about that when I'm right here."

"Don't talk about what?" Emma questioned as she entered the living room again, red leather jacket swung over her shoulders; a horrible mismatch with the blue dress she had ended up wearing. She glared at Lily, "Don't even say a word," she warned her, because she just knew what Lily had been about to say.

Lily pretended to zip her lips and throw away the key.

"Kid," Emma said then, and once more Henry had to pause his game, "be good for Lily, OK? And if she asks you to do something, you do it. If she needs help getting Alba to sleep, you help. Understood?"

Henry nodded. "Sure thing Ma, it's gonna be fine."

"Okay," Emma breathed, just as the doorbell sounded, announcing Regina's presence. "Love ya'," she pressed a kiss to Henry's head before doing the same to Alba's, and then Lily's cheek. "Love you guys, too," she promised.

Lily smirked; she was sad that the Emma Show was about to be over, but she was also happy for her friend because she deserved this. She had never seen Emma like this before, so smitten and obviously on her way to falling in love if Regina let her. "And we love you," she promised as Emma grabbed her purse from the table. "Remember to use protection!" she added in a laugh as Emma went down the hallway.

Henry said, "Ew," just as the door smacked close behind Emma, and Lily continued to laugh to herself.

Lily played Mario Kart with Henry for some time, while Alba babbled and banged blocks together in the playpen next to them. She was so happy for Emma about tonight; the blonde had been so sure that Regina wasn't going to ask her out, at least that was what she had told Lily, but suddenly they were going on a date anyway, and Lily suspected it was because that Regina too, like Emma, felt the chemistry between them. The chemistry that Lily had wanted to ignore, but was so painfully obvious whenever they were together.

They ate dinner after; Lily cooked them mac and cheese, which Henry ate happily before diving into his homework, and Lily fed Alba before changing her to get her into bed. She knew that Emma usually sang to get the fussy girl to sleep in the evenings – and sang quite horribly at that – but Lily simply refused to do that. Instead Henry suggested that he read them one of his stories. So Lily crawled onto the couch, Alba on top of her, a hand on her small back, while Henry settled into the huge chair he always claimed and chose one of the stories he had written in his notebook.

"This is Maleficent's story," Henry told her as he flipped through the pages.

Lily offered him a smile, "Maleficent?"

"You know," Henry continued, "my altered fairytales in Storybrooke. This is about Maleficent. The Evil Queen has kept her captive underneath the city in her dragon form. People think she's just really mean and that's why, but in truth it's only because someone stole her child."

With a chuckle, Lily said, "Okay Henry, that sounds exciting. I'm sure it'll put Alba right to sleep, and hey, maybe after…" she trailed off, pondered what he had told her and paused briefly at the name of the town. _Storybrooke._ Why did that seem familiar in her ears? It was like she had heard that name before, but she had no idea where.

Henry cleared his throat, "Maybe after?"

"Maybe after you can show me the rest of your altered fairytales," Lily ended up saying, even though she had actually intended to suggest they play another round of Mario Kart.

Beaming, Henry settled back in his chair with a sigh. " _Once upon a time there was a woman named Maleficent. She was not only a woman, she was also a dragon…_ "

—

 _HI REGINA HOW IS THE COURTING GOING SINCERELY MULAN_

Regina smiled at the message from Mulan as her eyes scanned the words. Belle had finally managed to teach Mulan how to text – it had been a long and uphill battle, Regina was sure – and now Mulan was taking every opportunity possible to write Regina messages. It was clear that she hadn't entirely gotten the hang of it yet, with the bold letters and the lack of punctuation, but Regina found it admirable that she was trying. Mulan was still also very formal with her wording, but she was getting there, and Regina had a feeling that Belle was an eager and patient tutor.

"Something funny?" Emma questioned as she returned from the bathroom, adjusting her midnight blue dress as she walked.

Letting her eyes scan appreciatively over Emma's body, Regina greeted her with a soft smile. It was clear to her that Emma had really made an effort tonight, dressing herself up in a way she thought Regina would like. She appreciated that, because it just showed how much Emma wanted this date to go well – even if Regina always would love skinny jeans and red leather jacket-wearing Emma Swan the most. That was the way she had gotten to know her, as the Saviour, but it was nice to see that she could also dress up like a real fairytale princess if necessary. "It was just a friend from back home," Regina replied as she put her phone away.

Emma took a seat across from her and reached for her glass. She had been drinking sparkling water all night, not wanting to pump again, and Regina had only had one glass of wine before moving to sparkling water as well. She took a sip. "So did you leave a lot of friends back in, uh, Storybrooke, was it?"

They hadn't talked a lot about Regina's past, which was of course because she didn't want to lie to Emma and make things awkward, but Regina had prepared herself for the fact that Emma might ask questions tonight. It was regular date-conversation after all, and Emma had told Regina so many things about her life. Granted, it was things that Regina mostly knew, but it was still nice to be offered all that information. She'd decided that she would have to open up to Emma, she'd just have to be careful with her words.

Sensing some kind of hesitation from her, Emma quickly said, "It's okay, you don't have to-"

"No, I – I want to tell you," Regina quickly interrupted her. She didn't want Emma to think that she was hiding anything – goodness, she'd never want Emma to think that, even if it was the truth – so she simply had to find a way around it. "I… guess I hadn't thought I would actually, leave friends behind. But people have surprised me with how much they care."

She thought of not only Mulan, but of Snow and Charming, and even Ruby and Belle who had stepped up for her back in Storybrooke. Granted, it was probably because they cared for Emma and wanted her to be happy, but it still felt nice to be part of that equation somehow. And there was also Kathryn and Archie and even Granny to think about.

Emma's eyes were round and curious as she replied, "You didn't think people cared about you?"

Regina reached for her own glass of water with a soft smile. "No, it has truly surprised me how much they seem to care for me."

"I can tell that you really believe that," Emma mused, and her eyes trailed almost inquisitively over Regina's features. "I mean, I'm pretty good at knowing when people lie, and you, Regina – you're telling the truth." She paused, tongue darting out to wet her lips, "What confuses me is just why you believe that. Why don't you believe that people care for you?"

Regina ran a finger over the spoon next to her – they were waiting for the dessert, Emma had insisted they order – and said, "I've done a lot of stupid things. People would be right to hate me for them."

Emma frowned. "Does it have anything to do with your ex and your kid? I notice you don't talk a lot about them."

Staring at Emma across from her, Regina wished desperately to tell her everything; to say that _she_ was it, that the two kids back in her apartment were also _hers._ Emma was so beautiful, incredibly so, and Regina longed to wrap her arms around her and hold tight. She was pretty sure that once she did, she would never be able to let her go again. She wished desperately that Emma would feel the same way. "It's kind of a really long story, and I don't want to bore you," Regina ended up saying, fingers still toying with the silverware.

A hand came creeping across the table to gently place itself on top of Regina's, stilling her fidgeting movement. "You would never bore me," Emma whispered, and her eyes were shimmering with honesty, "but – what happened with them? Did she leave you?"

Regina let Emma's warm touch comfort her, fingers intertwining gently on the table top. "It's really very complicated, but they had to move," she told Emma, and she could tell that the blonde woman was listening intensely, completely at Regina's mercy. "I messed up, I reckon. Kind of."

"Did she say you can't see him anymore?" Emma breathlessly questioned.

Regina felt her heart clench painfully as she remembered a time in her life where Emma had uttered those exact words to her. Thankfully, it wasn't the truth this time around, so she could answer Emma honestly. "No, that's not it," she promised as she forced out her most radiant smile.

Trailing her eyes over her face, Emma was quiet for a little while as she regarded her. "Okay," she whispered, squeezing Regina's fingers. "Good. Because I can't imagine why someone would not want you to be the mother of their kid," she murmured.

A warmth unlike anything exploded inside of Regina's chest at that. Emma, her sweet, wonderful Emma, who always knew exactly what to say to comfort her when she needed it the most. Even without knowing the entire story, Emma just somehow found a way. "Thank you," she whispered, "that means more to me than you can imagine."

"I see how you are with Alba and Henry," Emma told her with a shrug, "It's a given."

Regina squeezed her hand back just as the waiter arrived at their table with their brownie dessert. She let go of Emma's hand, reluctantly, and had to fight hard to hide the fondness she felt spreading in her chest as she saw the way Emma eagerly dug into the brownie. Her sweet tooth was a trait that Regina would always pretend to hate loving her for, but it was just so explicitly Emma that she could hardly hide the fondness.

She ate only half of her brownie and offered Emma the rest, and they fought over the bill, but Regina ended up winning by using arguments such as _I asked you out_ and _you have two kids, just let me spoil you_ until Emma acquiesced. They didn't feel like ending the night just yet – Regina mostly because she wanted to savour every single moment with Emma before everything potentially blew up in her face when she gave the potions, and Emma because well, because the date was actually going quite wonderfully – so they decided to go for a walk. Even without memories and knowledge, this date was going great, and Regina knew it. They connected, they talked, there was never any awkward silences, and it was everything a date was supposed to be, and she could tell that Emma was enjoying herself. It was just like it used to be between them in Storybrooke when they'd stopped wanting to kill each other, and there was something so safe and wonderful about that. It was familiar, Emma just felt so familiar, and Regina never wanted to lose that feeling. She just desperately tried to suck out everything she could from this experience, to enjoy Emma like this, because she wasn't sure if she would ever get the opportunity again.

She breathed in everything that was Emma as they walked around the busy streets, huddled together for warmth; it was autumn after all, and Emma was only wearing her red leather jacket, claiming she wasn't cold. Regina took in the easy atmosphere, the flirty banter. She enjoyed Emma's dress and the heels immensely, and loved the faint red lipstick that coated Emma's lips. She was just _so beautiful,_ Regina could hardly believe it. Not only had this woman given Regina her two children – which she was still trying to calm down over, although it was hard when Alba was _right there_ yet out of her reach – but she was also just the most beautiful woman Regina had ever met; inside and out.

Mary Margaret's words echoed in her mind as well – True Love; _we think you might be True Loves_ – and she was trying not to let her mind get carried away with hope and desire for that. Because yes, she'd be happy, ecstatic, if it turned out that Emma was her True Love, but when had life ever smiled quite so fondly down on her?

They had somehow found their way back to their apartment building by foot, neither of them eager to cut the intimacy short and call for a cab. They ended up stopping just short of the fence, Regina with her arms wrapped around herself, nose buried in her scarf, while Emma had awkwardly stuck her fingers into her pockets. This was really it – this was supposed to be the time where Regina said goodnight and let Emma return home after their perfect first date, but she was reluctant to let her go. Just one more hour, just a little more time, and tomorrow she'd figure out how to make Henry and Emma drink strange liquids from two vials.

"So uh, this has really been nice," Emma sheepishly said, and she sounded almost shy as she stepped closer to Regina. "Thank you for dinner and everything."

"It was my pleasure," Regina replied. She was staring straight into Emma's eyes as the other woman hovered slightly over her, for once taller in her high heels. "I've had a wonderful time."

Emma's tongue darted out to lick her lips, and Regina found it particularly difficult to tear her eyes away from its movements. "Do you maybe wanna do it again sometime? Lily's always an eager babysitter."

Reaching a hand out to tug Emma gently closer, Regain said, "I'd like that very much."

Emma chuckled, coming willingly her way. "Cool," she whispered, and she bent down to press her forehead against Regina's, noses brushing. "I know you said that I had to be sure and everything," she paused, eyes moving from Regina's to what the brunette suspected was her lips, "and it feels like I've never been surer about a damn thing in my life."

Breath hitching in her throat, Regina knew that she was supposed to stop this. That it was going to go horribly wrong, and that Emma could be hurt, and that everything could blow up in her face, but she did not have the power to stop Emma from doing what Emma was obviously trying to do. "No?"

"No," Emma whispered, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "So I'm going to kiss you now," she whispered, and her breath was ghosting across Regina's lips teasingly, while her hands came out of her pockets and wound slowly around Regina's waist.

Regina held her breath, eyes fluttering shut as her heart beat with wondrous expectation. It had been _so long_ since she'd last felt Emma's lips on hers that day at the townline. It felt like a lifetime ago, and she wanted nothing more than to fall into the feel of Emma's lips meshing perfectly with hers like they had done before. She shivered slightly, despite her warm coat, and as Emma's lips fell onto hers, she was a complete goner. Fingers tugged her closer as their lips moved together in perfect unison; it felt like they had done this always, like this was what they were supposed to be doing, and there was nothing chaste and experimental about it. Regina's fingers found their way into Emma's hair, holding the other woman close to her, as their lips moved, and mouths opened slightly to let tongues explore.

She could hardly believe that this was happening. She was kissing _Emma._ Emma was kissing her, and she'd savour it, let this night fuel her forward as she went ahead with her plan.

They pulled back because air was becoming an issue, and as they did, Emma had the goofiest smile on her face, goofier than Regina had ever seen. But there had been no surge of magic, no rainbow coloured waves emanating from them to announce that a curse had been broken. They'd _kissed_ but Emma was still Emma without her memories. They'd _kissed_ and nothing had happened. They weren't True Loves.

"Wow," Emma whispered as she moved forward to place a chaste peck on Regina's lips. "You're really good at that."

Swallowing down the disappoint that she and Emma were not True Loves, Regina had to at least acknowledge the fact that they'd kissed, and that Emma was happy, and that she was looking at her like she used to do back in Storybrooke; completely dazed and with adoration. Perhaps they were not True Loves, but they were something, and Regina was still going to claim that for herself. She ran her hands down Emma's shoulder and intertwined their fingers. "Do you wanna come upstairs for a nightcap?"

—-

Emma hadn't really spent much time in Regina's apartment, because it was always the other woman who had come to their apartment to hang out. It made most sense like that anyway, because it was always a hassle to bring all of Alba's things around if it wasn't strictly necessary.

Regina was making tea in the kitchen and Emma had made herself feel home on the couch. The apartment was really sparsely decorated, almost as if Regina hadn't planned on staying for long. Perhaps she just didn't really care about things like that, although she didn't really strike Emma as a person who wouldn't want her home to be immaculate.

She smiled to herself as she shot a quick text off to Lily about her whereabouts. She didn't plan on staying the night – Regina seemed like an honourable person, and she wouldn't want to go there so quickly, even if Emma most definitely wouldn't mind – but she figured it was nice for her friend to know that she was just a few floors below. Lily's reply was crude and filled with innuendo, and Emma stuck her phone into her purse.

 _That kiss._ Damn, she kept thinking about it. It had been totally unplanned for, but she'd wanted to do it for so long that she simply hadn't been able to control herself. Kissing Regina was like – coming home somehow. It felt so familiar and safe, like it was something she had done a million times before. She had felt this odd pulsating feeling beneath her skin, like something surging through her veins and tingling in her fingers, and had it really been so long since she had had feelings for anyone that she had forgotten what it felt like? She was certain that she was having feelings for Regina, feelings of not just attraction, but also of something else. _Strong_ feelings. It occurred to her – she could fall in love with this woman, she really could.

"Do you want sugar in your tea?" Regina questioned, head popping around the half-wall to smile at Emma.

"'Course," Emma chuckled, and she stared after the other woman as she disappeared from view. Leaning down to tug off her heels, Emma relished her bare feet and the freedom to wriggle her toes. Gosh, Regina was the most amazing woman she had ever met. She knew she was getting ahead of herself, and she'd never, ever, move quickly forward – being a mother with two kids, one whom was only seven months, did put a damper on things – but she could dream, couldn't she? She could imagine what it would be like if she and Regina fell in love; how Regina could step in and be like another parent to Henry and Alba. How, hopefully, they'd get to meet her son, too, and he and Henry could play video games together. And they'd just be _happy._ So very happy.

Regina entered the living room again, balancing a mug of tea in each hand. She'd also discarded her heels, something Emma had rarely seen, and she looked so cute as she padded barefoot across the floors in her black dress. "Here's your sugar rush," she fondly said and offered Emma one of the mugs. She took a seat on the couch next to Emma, tucking her feet beneath herself as she rested her mug in her palms.

"You haven't decorated much," Emma mused as she glanced around again, wanting to voice her earlier thoughts.

Regina sipped her tea. "No, I've been… I've been otherwise engaged. I'm not quite sure how long I'm staying in this apartment either. We'll see."

Emma felt a rush of heat wash through her, suddenly afraid that Regina was disappearing, that she was regretting the move to New York or something. "You're not leaving, are you?"

Another sip of tea. "Don't worry," Regina replied in a hushed whisper, "I'm not going anywhere."

Strangely enough, Emma believed her one hundred percent, so she took a sip of her tea – something sweet with added sugar – and relaxed against the couch. "So Henry told me you sang in Spanish for Alba when you babysat."

Regina got a fond smile on her face at that; eyes shining and lips upturned. She looked beautiful. "Yes," she hummed happily, "she quite liked that. It was the lullaby my father used to sing for me, and I sang it for my own son, too."

"Well, Henry said it put her right to sleep, so good for you!" Emma chuckled, gazing at the woman across from her. She wanted to know so many things about her, she wanted to learn everything there was to learn. Everything about Regina seemed so special, and Emma craved to know more, to learn it all. "Tell me more about your son," she prompted, softly, not wanting to push Regina too far.

Smiling into her mug of tea, Regina said, "He's the light of my life. My little prince."

Emma hummed. "What does he like?"

"A lot of the same things as Henry does," Regina explained, and it was clear to Emma how much she loved her son; it was written all over her face as she spoke about him, shining out of her every pore. "Comic books, video games. Fairytales. But…" she trailed off, pausing, "He was a lot more lonely, before they moved. He didn't have as many friends. Which is why I can't be terribly mad about the life they lead, even if it is hard for me."

"I'm sorry," Emma murmured, reaching a hand out to stroke Regina's thigh gently.

Regina bit her lip, eyes trained on Emma's hand on her thigh. "It makes things hard," she said.

Emma was having a really hard time reading Regina right now; even though it was clear that she loved her son, and that she was telling the truth about him, there was an odd edge to her words, something that seemed off. And Emma really couldn't figure out what it was. "Did I never ask you his name?"

Regina hesitated, breath hitching audibly in her throat. "Daniel Mills," she replied.

 _Ping._

Something wasn't quite right with that statement. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the truth either. "Henry's middle name is Daniel," Emma whispered, not sure what else to say.

"Hm," Regina just replied as she took another sip of her tea.

"So is he ever going to live with you again?" Emma wanted to know next, something dragging her explicitly in this direction, wanting her to ask more questions about Regina's son, even though she was starting top feel like she might not always like the truth of the answers. There could be many reasons that Regina wasn't being entirely honest to her about her son, and they were probably very good reasons, but Emma just didn't have time and patience in her life to handle someone who lied to her. Even if the truth sucked, she'd much rather prefer it to a lie.

Regina let a finger run around the rim of the mug, staring pensively into space. "I hope so," was her reply.

Emma furrowed her brow, not quite sure how to handle this conversation. Her body was still buzzing from the kiss downstairs, but right now she was getting some odd signals. She knew it was probably the subject, but something told her to keep going – and Regina hadn't told her to stop anyway. "So this ex of yours," she begun, and she watched as Regina's eyes widened slightly, "is there a chance you might get together with her?"

Regina stared at Emma at that, brown eyes filled with so many emotions that Emma couldn't pinpoint. "Do ask me to answer that," Regina said, and there was a shimmer of tears gathering in her eyes, "Let's talk about something else."

"No," Emma quickly said, and suddenly her heartbeat was entirely out of control, "I, Regina-" she paused, brow furrowed, "What is it? You can tell me."

With a sigh, Regina said, "I don't think you want the answer."

"Is there," Emma said, and now there was legit fear of heartbreak thrumming through her chest, because if Regina said _yes_ then what did she have to offer? She had nothing compared to a child and a past. "Is there a chance you might get together with her?"

Regina stared despondently at her. "Perhaps," she replied, after a good thirty seconds, and Emma's lie detector didn't ping.

She swallowed loudly. "Is that what you want?" she asked. And she was mentally preparing herself for the upcoming heartache. She had been so _certain_ that it was safe enough to fall – that Regina would catch her – and it had definitely felt like Regina was right there with her. That _kiss._ It had been everything. How could Regina kiss her like that if she wanted to get with her son's mother?

"Yes," Regina replied, and Emma was sad to realise that there was no ping inside of her head.

She sighed and placed her mug of tea on the coffee table, standing to gather her things as she fought back the waves of crushing emotion threatening to throttle her. "Then I don't understand," she said, reaching for her purse, her jacket and heels. "What are we even doing here, Regina?"

Shooting out of her seat, Regina was on her feet too. "We're here, because I wanna be with you," she quickly argued, and once more Emma didn't hear a ping, which just made things even more confusing. How could Regina want both things? How could both things be true?

"I don't understand," Emma said with a sigh and she dropped her things onto the couch again. She felt like she was caught in a limbo somehow; on one hand she felt like she should be happy, ecstatic, because Regina just said that she wanted to be with her and meant it, but on the other hand she felt like she should be heartbroken and mad, storm out of there, because Regina also just said that she wanted to get back together with the mother of her son and meant it.

Regina stepped closer, reaching for Emma's hands to clasp them in her own, which the blonde allowed her, although reluctantly. "Emma," she whispered, thumb coming up to brush her skin, "there's so many things I wish I could explain to you right now, but I can't. You'd never believe me, so you have to _trust_ me. Can you please trust me?"

There was something so honest and raw about Regina's voice as she presented her question; something Emma had never heard in her before. It made her want to agree immediately, and some part of her did, some part of her _trusted_ this woman that she hardly knew, but… there was another part of her. The grown up, responsible mother part, who told her to get out of there. She had two kids, two wonderful children, who were already so attached to Regina, and how would they all be able to move forward if Regina suddenly left them again to get back to her own family? Emma would never be able to live with herself. Alba was too young to understand, she'd just feel the missing presence of Regina suddenly not being there.

"I, I don't know-" Emma choked, her throat completely dry all of a sudden. "I need some water," she said, and before Regina could say anything, Emma had turned on her heel and marched straight into the kitchen to help herself. She opened the first cabinet – plates – and then the second one – mugs. Thank god. She grabbed a mug much similar to the one she'd had her tea in and quickly opened the tap, filling the mug to the brim with water. She gulped it down greedily, leaning herself against the counter, and when it was empty, she repeated the gesture: Water, mug, drink. When she turned around, mug half-empty, she found Regina watching her from the wall, her back pressed up against it. She looked so worried, brown eyes huge and round, and lip tugged between her teeth.

"How are you feeling?" Regina softly asked, and it annoyed Emma how earnest she sounded as she spoke.

"Confused," Emma bluntly replied. She felt like she had a right to be a little upset at least. Perhaps Regina felt that too, because she hadn't acted unreasonable about it, which was something. She placed the mug on the counter and furrowed her brow. "Regina, please try to explain to me why-" she paused when something caught her attention at the corner of her eye. "What the _fuck_ is this?" She stepped to the side, fingers reaching out to snap something – glass vials of some sort – resting on Regina's counter.

She heard Regina gasp behind her, "Emma, it's-"

"Why do these have mine and Henry's names on them?" she questioned, picking up the two vials from the counter; one of them was almost see-through, the other a faint blue. She turned around, staring at Regina, who was standing motionless no more than a feet away.

Regina breathed out, the invisible protective shield coming up around her which Emma only noticed because of the way she straightened her back. "Emma, I know how this looks, and it looks bad-"

Emma interjected, "No shit!"

"-but it's really not what you think," Regina finished, brown eyes meeting Emma's, and it was _so confusing_ to Emma because she was absolutely telling the truth. Whatever Regina had in those vials, she believed that it wasn't bad.

But Emma couldn't find any explanation for these two vials – with her and Henry's names on them, goddamnit! – that wouldn't be bad. "Then tell me what the fuck it is, Regina, and don't lie to me, please. Don't even say that you can't tell me and I have to trust you."

Regina nodded, shoulders stiff. "First, please put the vials on the counter so they don't break," she said, motioning towards the vials in Emma's hand. The blonde stared down at them, confused why they appeared to be of such importance to Regina. She sighed and carefully placed them on the counter. "Thank you," Regina breathed, shoulders sagging noticeably.

Emma rested herself against the counter, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "So what's this?"

"There are potions in those vials," Regina said, taking a careful step closer to Emma, still leaving a small distance between them. "I wanted you and Henry to drink one each, OK? There's nothing dangerous in it, but it'll _help you,_ you see. It'll be good for you."

"But what's in them?" Emma asked. Regina was so clearly dancing around the truth right now, so Emma would just have to ask tougher questions.

Regina wetted her lips. "A potion. That'll help you."

Emma jutted out her jaw. "Help me how?"

"To remember," Regina whispered, taking another tentative step closer, hand reaching out to touch Emma's crossed arms.

Seriously. _Seriously._ Emma huffed. "Remember? I remember just fine, thank you, and no _potion_ ," she used air quotes at this point, puffing, "will change anything."

The look on Regina's face was absolutely painful. "But it _will,_ Emma. Please trust me. Please, just drink the potion, and everything will make sense, I promise. I _promise._ " Her voice was almost begging by the end, tears in her brown eyes, and lips trembling. If Regina was such a person, she'd probably have folded her hands and crawled to her knees, but she _wasn't._

Emma stared down at her, swallowing a huge lump that had formed in her throat. "Regina, listen. This is insane, can't you hear that? I can't- I can't be here right now, OK? I need to, I dunno," she pushed herself off the counter, brushing past the other woman, "I need to leave."

"Emma," Regina begged, a hand coming out to stop her, halting her steps as their fingers locked. "Please," she whispered, and Emma turned around on her heels and stared at her. "Listen to your superpower," she continued to say, and Emma felt like she could see into the depths of her soul. "Listen to it – am I lying to you?"

She looked so hopeful, and so, so young as she stood there, staring up at Emma with wide eyes. And Emma wanted to believe her, wanted to trust her and drink that potion with her name on it. She wanted to put all her faith into the fact that she _cared so much_ about Regina already, even if she had only known her for such a short time. But that was also the kicker, wasn't it? She _had_ only known Regina for a very short time and drinking something that an almost-stranger – even if this stranger was incredibly sweet and an amazing kisser whom Emma was having real feelings for – had given her would not be a very responsible thing to do. A part of her wanted to believe Regina and trust in her, but when had that ever turned out well for her? As a kid she had put her trust in too many adults who didn't hold up their end, and when she was seventeen, she had put her faith in Neal, who'd ended up hurting her as well. Trust had never panned out well for her, so why should now be any different?

She stared at Regina at that and tore her hand out of her grip, "Just because you believe something is true," she said, fighting back the tears – of fury or pain, she wasn't sure – before finishing, "doesn't mean it is," and she turned around on her heel and left the apartment.

* * *

A/N: So don't kill me yet, it's all going to be okay, I promise. I hope you all understand where Emma is coming from in this – that she of course doesn't want to drink something that looks so suspicious, even if she wants to believe that Regina means her no harm. Please let me know what you think!


	12. Chapter Twelve: Fairytales Are Real

A/N: Thank you for your reviews for the last chapter! As I suspected, there were different opinions on Emma's reaction to the potions. Hopefully this chapter explains that a bit more, plus! I've been looking forward to writing the last scene since the beginning of this fic, and I can't wait for you guys to read it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWELVE – FAIRYTALES ARE REAL**

When Emma entered the apartment the next day after a long run, sweat was dripping down her brow and onto the floor, making her running top cling to her back. She wiped her forehead and kicked off her running shoes as the door closed softly behind her. Alba appeared to be in the middle of a tantrum in the kitchen, wailing loudly as Lily hushed and cooed at her.

Emma quickly went down the small hallway and moved to take her daughter off her friend's hands. "C'here Alba," she whispered, tucking the girl into her embrace and bouncing gently on the spot. "Hi guys," she greeted the two others.

Henry scowled as he ate his cereal and motioned towards the earphones in his ears, indicating the he couldn't hear her. His iPad was propped up against the carton of juice, his eyes trained on the screen.

Lily took a seat on her chair. "Good run?" she asked as she sipped her coffee.

"I really needed it, thank you for staying," Emma told her as she moved to the refrigerator to find Alba something to eat. "Did she eat?" she asked, just for good measure, even though the tantrum told her that Alba did, in fact, not eat yet.

Shaking her head, Lily said, "Nope, Henry and I couldn't get her to open her mouth, I bet she just missed her Ma."

Emma grabbed a portion of mashed potatoes and took a seat by the table. "Oh my baby, did you miss Mamma, huh? I'm right here, my sweet-cheeks," she cooed as she rubbed her nose against Alba's and unscrewed the lid on the baby food. She stuck a spoon into it and immediately offered it to Alba who opened her mouth and stopped crying the second she tasted the food.

Henry made a face of relief – able to recognise the stopped crying even with his earphones on – and Lily sighed happily as she took a bite of her toast. "Yes bitch, just fucking hungry and in need of her Ma," she swallowed.

Running a hand through Alba's dark locks, Emma said, "Yeah, well, Ma's the best thing, so there." She pressed a kiss to her daughter's head and inhaled her scent as she felt her body calm down after her long run. She'd pushed herself forward, running longer and faster than she had since before she was pregnant with Alba, but she had just needed it so much to unwind. The first few miles her head had still been filled with thoughts of last night; of Regina and strange vials and the way she had left things when she ran from the apartment. It was only after the seven mile mark that her head had finally cleared up and she'd experienced that carefree thoughtless feeling. Now that she was back in the apartment though, her head was right where she left it and the thoughts weren't good.

Lily picked at her sliced melon. "So uh, you gonna tell me why you're so pissed off you had to run? What happened with Regina last night? The sex not good?" She wriggled her eyebrows teasingly.

Lily had been asleep when Emma escaped home last night, crashed out on the couch with the baby monitor on her stomach, so Emma hadn't had any time to tell her about what had gone on with her and Regina. She wasn't even sure how to explain it anyway, but she knew that she had to – somehow, Lily had to give her advice of some sort. What was best friends for, if not for the teasing. Emma glared at her. "Shut up," she hissed, "The entire night went to shit when I found two strange vials with mine and Henry's names on them in her kitchen."

"What," Lily gaped at her, eyes turning wide. "Shut up, and start over? Tell me everything."

And so Emma told her everything while she fed Alba the mashed potatoes. She told her about the date and their wonderful kiss – all the while casting small glances at Henry, who was still wearing his earphones and watching something on the iPad; she didn't want him to hear this – and she told her about the apartment and how they had talked about Regina's ex and how she ultimately found the vials in Regina's kitchen. As she retold the story, she realised she might have overreacted just a little bit – but shit, their _names_ were on those vials, how else was she supposed to react to that?

Lily tucked her foot onto the chair, tilting slightly. "Well shit. What was in those vials?"

"I don't know," Emma sighed, running the spoon against the glass jar to get the last scoop of potato, "I mean, she wouldn't say, yeah? She just said something that'll help me _remember._ Whatever the fuck that means."

"But did you like," Lily paused, seemingly to search for the right words, "get any weird vibes off of her with your famous lie detector thingy?"

Emma looked at her friend, baffled. "No, and that's what confuses me. Because I've _felt so good_ about her so far. She's never said anything that really gave me pause." She shifted Alba on her lap, letting the baby play with the string on her running shorts. "Should I have stayed and talked more to her?" she wondered.

Lily shrugged. "Maybe," she said, eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "But like, I get why you didn't. If it was just you, you could take more chances, but there's the kiddies to think about." She motioned towards Alba, smile stiff.

"That's exactly what I thought," Emma breathed, although it still didn't feel like the good and right decision at all. The ache in her heart as she thought of Regina made her want to run another seven miles just to lose it.

"But," Lily continued, lightly, "perhaps she did really have a good reason. Maybe it was supposed to be a gift. Maybe she was going to tell you eventually. Maybe you weren't supposed to drink them at all."

Emma sighed, fingers loose arounds Alba's tummy as the baby babbled. "I guess. But if she had them, then she must have wanted us to drink them, yeah?"

Reaching for her coffee cup, Lily said, "Maybe you should talk to her about it now that you've cooled down. I mean," she paused, taking a gulp of her coffee and sitting the cup down again, "I see how much you care for her. It hasn't been very long, but you _really_ care for her. I can tell. Isn't it worth it to be sure?"

Resting her chin gently on top of Alba's head, Emma stared at Lily. "I don't know," she whispered, eyes sweeping over Henry's form as he stared at his screen intensely. "I mean, I really like Regina, y'know? She's like… this amazing woman that I never thought I'd ever meet. And when I'm with her, I can just be myself in a way I've never tried before, and I feel _comfortable._ She's funny too, did you know? She has this weird, sarcastic, dry humour that I just completely adore…" She trailed off, eyes coming back to rest upon Lily – who was shooting her a knowing grin – as she finished, "but I just… I'm a mother first, you know? I might not be your typical mother-type-person, but damn, these are my kids and I just couldn't bare if they got hurt."

Lily nodded, carefully extending her hand to pat Emma's arm. "I know, Swannie. And I get that, I do – if you introduce someone into their life – especially Alba's – and they leave, it's gonna suck, but – isn't it worth it if you really like Regina?"

"I thought so too," Emma mused, eyes fluttering shut, "but after yesterday, I'm not so sure. It's just – _weird._ I mean, those potions are weird!"

"I agree," Lily quickly said, bobbing her head up and down, "but don't you think you owe it to yourself to find out what's up with those? And you know… _listen_ to Regina. I know how you get when you go into protective Mama Bear mode. Perhaps you didn't see the full picture yesterday."

Emma licked her lips. "Perhaps not."

"Put some faith in her," Lily simply said, as if that was the easiest thing in the world.

Emma took in a deep, shuddering breath. "I'm not good with faith."

The other woman shot her a sideways smile, "I know, and that's 'cuz fate has been shitty to the both of us. But hey, you're doing pretty damn good now, ay? So how about a leap of faith for the woman you're clearly having strong feelings for."

Pulling her chin back, Emma stared down at Alba again, trying to make sense of the jumbled mess that was her thoughts. It wasn't easy, because pros and cons were listed, going back and forth, and Emma just couldn't seem to forget that look in Regina's eyes – the look of complete devastation and panic as Emma had left – but yet she had still not explained herself. What was it that was so hard for Regina to say? Something bad had obviously happened and perhaps the vials were supposed to be a gift of some sort, but… Emma just couldn't get it all to add up. She cared so much about Regina, was well on the way to falling in love with her, for the first time feeling these things since she was seventeen, and that had to mean something too. Although her track record with love was obviously not a very good one, she had really thought that Regina was different.

"I see you're not convinced," Lily broke her train of thoughts as she stood up and scooped Alba out of Emma's arms, "How about you go take a shower, and we all take a long walk in the park? More fresh air is exactly what you need." She plopped Alba into the playpen and stared expectantly at Emma.

The blonde bit her lip. "Yeah okay. I still need to pick up my shit at Regina's apartment later. I left everything when I bailed."

"Sure thing," Lily agreed as she moved to pull Henry's earphones off his head. "Henry, you wanna come to the park with us?"

"Hey," he argued, a slightly panicked look in his eyes as he stared at her and quickly tapped the screen of his iPad.

Emma stood up, finishing off the last of Lily's coffee. "Park? What do you say, Kid? I'll buy you a hotdog."

Henry looked tempted, but he shook his head. "Nah, I think I'll just hang around here for a bit. Maybe write. Maybe play a game."

Regarding her son with suspicious eyes, Emma placed the cup back on the table. "Okay," she lightly said, "but help Lily get Alba ready while I jump in the shower, yeah?"

"Of course, Ma," Henry dutifully said, and he slipped off his chair immediately to fetch his sister, while Emma rushed into the bathroom.

—

"Okay, run through it all with me again," Ruby pressed, and there was a double sigh behind her from Belle and Mulan. "What, I just need to understand!" she whined.

Regina sat down on the couch, hand landing involuntarily on Emma's red leather jacket which she hadn't dared to move from the cushion. She'd been way too caught up in her emotions yesterday to even think about damage control, either. Only today had she managed to reply to Mulan who had called her immediately. "Honestly, Miss Lucas, what is the point?" she questioned. She was tired – just so, so very tired. "I should obviously have hidden the potions away, but it hadn't even occurred to me that Emma might come back upstairs with me. I wasn't going to be so presumptuous."

Ruby groaned. "It's not presumptuous when you have two kids together, Regina."

"Emma doesn't know that," Belle interjected from behind. "Regina, don't worry, okay? We can still fix this. Emma probably just needs to calm down. What if you explain to her in more detail what is actually going on? _The truth_ this time."

Regina stared at her bare apartment wall, feeling utterly defeated. "Miss French, she is going to have me institutionalised if I tell her those things."

"Urgh," Ruby blabbed, making a noise in the back of her throat, "It'd just be so much easier if you could just slip the potions in their drinks."

"The potions must be taken willingly," Mulan said, beating Regina to it. "We talked about this, okay Ruby? We can't do anything but hope that Emma calms down enough to listen to Regina."

Belle said, "She will. She'll realise soon enough that something's missing. It's a slight glitch in the plan, but it'll all work out. Meanwhile, we'll all be waiting right here in Storybrooke."

Regina bit her lip. "How is the town?"

"Waiting for its mayor to return," Ruby lightly said, fidgeting with something on the other end, "I mean, some of these fairytale characters have the most ridiculous problems, and Mary Margaret's just telling them all to wait until you're back."

"I mostly save kittens from trees," Mulan informed her.

Regina sighed and rested her head against the back of the couch, closing her eyes. "God, I have to get them back soon. I can't stand this much longer. First, I thought it was nice, but now I just want to take them back home with me."

"We know," Belle softly offered, and there was nothing but kindness in her voice.

Opening her eyes again, Regina said, "Look, I'll go now, figure out how to approach this again. Talk to you guys soon, hm?"

She was offered a chorus of goodbyes, and Regina hung up the phone before reaching for Emma's jacket once more. The fake leather felt cold against her hands, but the familiar scent of Emma lingered in the clothing. She pulled it closer, savouring the feel of the jacket that was probably Emma's most beloved piece of clothing, before she bent her head forward and pressed her nose into the soft fabric of the seams. She breathed in; so entirely and completely Emma. It warmed her, even if she was not in a great place with the other woman right now, the scent and feel of her was comforting and exactly what Regina needed.

She supposed she should go upstairs to return these items, but some part of her also wanted Emma to venture to her apartment instead. If she did, perhaps Regina could persuade her to listen to her. She'd just have to figure out a way to convince her. She had pictures of course – pictures of a place that Emma wouldn't know – perhaps she could show them to her. Yesterday she hadn't had half a mind to think of that, but perhaps that would be enough to just get Emma to trust her enough to drink the potion. What was going to happen after, Regina wasn't sure, but at least Emma would have her memories.

A series of knocks on her door pulled her out of her thoughts, and Regina quickly dropped the jacket, shooting out of the couch. That had to be Emma, right? Who had come to pick up her things. If it was Emma, what was Regina going to say? Goodness, why hadn't she figured it out already. She should ask her to talk – show her pictures – tell her everything – _everything_ – and then perhaps Emma would trust her enough to take a risk. Regina slipped across the floor, pulling the door open with a forced smile, only to come face to face with –

"Henry?" she questioned, dark eyes settling onto her son as he stood there, a determined look written all over his face.

He pushed past her into the apartment. "What did you say to my mom?" he asked her, as he turned around to look at her, brow furrowed. "She was all happy yesterday for your date and now she's being all weird and telling Lily she doesn't know if she should trust you or not."

Regina closed the door with a sigh. "She talked about that? In front of you?"

Henry toed the carpet with his socks, stared briefly at the ground. "I might've… pretended to watch something and then pressed pause to listen in."

"Henry," Regina scolded, and she moved into the kitchen, waving him with her. "Come here, I have some iced tea, let's talk."

He shuffled behind her into the kitchen, where he took a seat by the table, watching her as she got out two glasses and put some ice cubes in, before pulling out the tea from the refrigerator. He didn't appear to be mad at her, which was a tremendous relief and almost healed her heart a little bit; he was just watching her with soft eyes, looking tired and like he almost just woke up from a good night's sleep. She sat down in front of him, pouring in the tea.

Henry took a small sip of it, hand resting on the glass. "Was it a good date with you and Ma?" he wanted to know, and he looked like such a young child when he asked.

Regina couldn't help the smile that came onto her face at the thought. "Yes, it was a wonderful date, Henry. I would very much like to do it again sometime."

"But then she got mad," Henry stated, brow furrowed in an expression that was so Emma that it clenched painfully around Regina's heart.

"She didn't like all the things I told her," Regina replied. She took a sip of her own drink, happy that he was sitting in front of her to listen and not just being the protective kid she knew he could be. "I guess it's really grown up stuff, it might be a bit hard to explain."

Henry jutted out his jaw, green eyes shining with the challenge. "I think you should talk to me about it. Ma might be mad at you, but she still likes you, I heard her say it."

Once more her heart clenched inside of her chest, but this time it wasn't so painful – it was hopeful, loving, and something that made Regina want to believe that things were going to turn out alright. She stared at her son, her wonderful little prince whom she had raised for ten years before Emma came into the picture. He was _her son_ – their son – but her son. She nodded her head. "Okay, you can ask me questions, Henry. And I promise, I will never lie to you," she let the words run over her tongue, aware of the fact that she'd made him such a promise before and that she really wanted to keep it - always.

"Are you in love with my Ma?" Henry asked, eyes round and lips quivering.

Regina swallowed loudly. "Yes Henry," she said, "I am. Is that OK?"

He watched her for a second, eyes beseeching. "It's more than OK," he whispered. His fingers tapped against the kitchen table. "I want you guys to be together. I want us to be a family."

"I want that too," Regina murmured, and she was trying really hard not to cry at his sweet and wonderful words. Even without his memories, Henry was rooting for them – just like she knew he would have done back in Storybrooke if he had been aware of everything going on between them.

Henry nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "So uh, tell me what happened last night. I want to help you fix it."

Regina regarded him for a second. He was so young – still so very young – and right now he was unbothered, untouched by all of the things that he couldn't remember, the things that Henry had been through; the Sleeping Curse, Neverland, being torn between two mothers. But he still had that sense about him, that thing that made him slightly more grown up than his young years, even if he had no recollection of the events that made it so. He was thoughtful like that. "Alright," she said, and he looked entirely surprised, like he'd almost expected her to say no, "if I'm going to get your help, we need to talk about your stories."

"My – my stories?" The look of confusion on his face was so absolutely also Emma.

"Mhm," Regina hummed, sipping her drink yet again. "What if I tell you that _all of the things_ you've been writing in your altered fairytales… are real?" She arched an eyebrow, challenging him.

Henry furrowed his brow, tongue swiping out to wet his lips. "What do you mean _real_?"

Regina smiled at him, fond. "That it's all true. All these people exist. Doctor Archie Hopper, Ruby Lucas, even the kid you wrote about in your last story. Didn't you name him after yourself?"

A faint blush rose up on his cheek and Henry offered her a soft nod. "Henry yeah. Like me."

"Mh," Regina smiled, and she couldn't help herself, she reached her hand out to softly cup his cheek. "The fairytale characters are real, Henry. And they're all back in Storybrooke, waiting for you and your mother to come back home."

Henry scrunched up his nose. "But wait – me and my mom? But we're not fairytale characters."

Regina dropped her hand to the table, soft. "Yes, you are, my sweet boy. You most definitely are."

He seemed to think about that for a second, eyes focused on the drink in front of him as he said nothing. She could tell that the wheels were turning inside of his head, pondering what she had told him, and she knew her son well enough to tell that he wanted to believe her – because his imagination was just fantastic – but that he was sceptic because logically it made no sense. "But if we are fairytale characters," he whispered, finally lifting his gaze to meet hers, "why don't we remember anything? I've been with my Ma my entire life, living here and there, going to different schools."

"No you haven't," Regina shook her head. She swore, it felt like her heart was beating its way all the way up her throat and out of her mouth, because she knew she was going to tell him that she was his mother soon, and if he rejected her – even if it wasn't his fault – she didn't know if she'd survive it. "You've been living in Storybrooke most of your life. But there was a curse, a dangerous one, and I had to send you and your mother away so you could have a good life."

Henry's brow was furrowed pensively, his Swan nose scrunched up as he took in her words. "But how did we end up in Storybrooke, I mean… I-" he paused, eyes wide, "are you a fairytale character too, then?"

Regina smiled fondly at him and said, "Yes I am. I am actually the Evil Queen. Like in your story."

"But you're not evil," Henry quickly said, clearly confused.

She couldn't help the dry chuckle that escaped her throat at his innocent proclamation. "No, I'm not. At least I'm trying not to be anymore." She rubbed her hand against his, resting on the table. "Now I just want my family back."

Henry watched her again, eyes trailing over her face slowly. "Me and Ma… are we… your family?" he whispered, and there was a small quiver near his lips.

Regina nodded, pushing her chair back to stand up. "Wait here for a second, Henry," she said, and she went into the living room to retrieve her cell phone. Her heart was thudding, and she was filled with a nervous excitement as she scrolled through her pictures to find the last picture they had taken in Storybrooke before the curse hit. She offered him the phone as she took a seat at the table again. "Swipe to the right and just look," she murmured, resting her hands nervously in her lap as Henry carefully took her phone.

The first picture she had on her screen was a picture that David had taken of all three of them – Henry, Regina and Emma – after they had finally gotten Pan out of his body. It was special to her, and she'd spent many a night staring at it before she went to sleep. She could see how happy she was; Henry and Emma too. He was squeezed in between the two of them as they hugged him tight, and Regina remembered how Emma's hand had come to rest lovingly on the small of her back as David snapped the picture, even if that gesture was not visible on the picture itself.

She watched his face change as he swiped through the pictures. She saw his breath hitch, his lips quiver, his brow furrow. She waited patiently for him to be ready to speak. She knew pictures could be manipulated, but she wanted to believe that Henry would put his faith in her and not question it. She wasn't sure how many times he had swiped to the right, but when he finally lowered the phone to the table and looked up at her, his green eyes were shimmering with unshed tears. "I don't understand," he whispered, "if this is true, why can't I remember anything? It looks… it looks like a really nice life."

"It is," Regina murmured, and she was surprised by the tears brimming in her own eyes, too. "Mostly. It's also really dangerous sometimes, but at least we have each other."

Henry wiped the back of his hand over his face, staring at her with determination. "The vials Ma talked about – were they to make us remember?"

Standing from her chair again, Regina moved to the counter to retrieve the two vials. She sat down and held them out for him to see. "Yes. That's why I'm here. To get you two to drink these. There's one for you and one for Emma."

"Why are they different colours?" Henry wanted to know, hand coming out to carefully reach for the vial labeled _Henry._

"These potions are personal," Regina explained, smiling despite the tense situation, "there's your hair in yours. If you drink it, it'll counteract the magic that took away your memories."

Henry blinked down at the blue liquid in the vial. "And Ma got mad when she saw these?"

Regina chuckled. "She got very mad. Perhaps she thought I was going to poison you."

He clenched his jaw, lips thin. "But you're not, are you?" he wondered aloud, fingers toying with the cork on top of the glass, effectively shutting the potion inside. He bit his lip. "I don't think you are. I, I want to believe you. I like you, Regina. I trust you," he said, determined. And before Regina knew what had happened, he'd uncorked the vial and was taking in a deep breath.

Regina held her own breath, watching him carefully as he stared at the potion. She could hardly believe that this was happening right now; he was actually sitting in front of her with the potion, getting ready to drink it. She wanted to lean forward to help him on the way – so eager to get her son back and succeed with _something_ – but she knew she had to let him do it on his own.

He locked his eyes to hers. "I trust you," he repeated, and then he tilted the vial over and let the potion fall into his mouth.

—

The second he swallowed the potion, Henry's entire world shifted on its axis. He was no longer sitting in front of Regina, the awesome downstairs neighbour he kind of wanted his Ma to marry, but he was sitting in front of Regina, his-

"Mom!" Henry exclaimed. He thrusted himself forward, practically falling over the table as he scrambled to hug Mom. His arms fell around her neck, and he felt her arms around his back as she crushed him to her.

"Henry," she breathed into his hair, and he heard how she was almost crying. "Henry, my sweet little prince."

He buried himself in her body, breathing in her Mom-scent, a scent he wasn't even aware that he had missed so desperately. "Mom, I missed you, I missed you," he said, repeating himself. So many things were not making sense right now. Like, he was kind of a _fairytale character,_ and the life they had in New York wasn't really real, except for the past year and a half, and his Ma was the saviour, and his Mom was the Evil Queen, and his sister was – Henry paused, stopping his train of thought. _His sister?_

"My sweet boy, I've missed you too," Mom said as she pulled back, hands cupping his face, eyes trailing over him and lips coming down to kiss his forehead. "Thank you, Henry, thank you so much for trusting me to drink the potion."

"You've been here for so long," Henry said, as the past few months really dawned on him. "Have you been trying to get close to us? But you went _on a date_ with Ma?"

Mom chuckled, fingers running through his hair lovingly. "There's many things you don't know, Henry, and I'll tell you everything, I promise. Just," she paused, brown eyes brimming with tears, "come here again," she finished, before she tugged him to her once more and wrapped her arms around him even tighter than before.

He let her, knowing how she could be so protective, and knowing how it must have been so hard for her, especially because of the past experiences she'd had with Ma fighting over him. And he let her, mostly because he wanted it too. He couldn't believe he'd been living this life with what he thought was his family, and then he had an entire other family in Storybrooke that he didn't even remember. But Storybrooke was- He paused, pulling back. "Are all you guys back from the Enchanted Forest again?"

Mom nodded. "Yes, my sweet boy. We all returned, and when we did, I immediately set out to find you guys. I'm sorry it took such a long time."

"It's not your fault," Henry replied, and he finally pulled back, falling into the chair right next to her instead of opposite her. He reached for his glass of iced tea, gulping it all down, and Mom immediately went to pour more into it, while he reached for the vial labelled _Emma._ "Ma must've really gotten spooked when she saw this. I don't think she'll drink it."

Mom took a sip of her own drink and said, "What if you try?"

Henry scrunched up his nose. "I'm still not sure. I mean, I can try?" He shrugged, leaning into her side to rest against her, not able to get enough of her. "But uh, how's everything back home? How's my dad? And what's the deal with you and Ma _on a date?_ Was that just to get her to drink it, or do you guys really love each other? And what about Alba?"

Chuckling, Mom ran her hands through his hair, and he loved the way she looked at him with so much love. "So many questions, you've always been such a curious one. And I want to tell you everything, OK? And I will, but what I really want is for Emma to remember everything, too."

He bit his lip, "Okay, I might have an idea… But I think it calls for an Operation."

"An Operation?" Mom's eyes shone happily, "Shouldn't it have a name then?"

"It can be Operation Butterfly," Henry quickly said as he took another sip of his iced tea.

Mom smiled at him. "Why Butterfly? Shouldn't it be Operation Drink Me?"

Henry leaned up, staring seriously into her eyes. It was clear that she'd never really been a part of a real Operation before, because you never called them what they really were. That'd just be stupid. "You have to throw people off their track. So Operation Butterfly is good, because it's not suspicious."

"Ah, I see," Mom laughed, and once more she ruffled his hair. It was almost like she couldn't stop touching him, but he honestly didn't mind.

Henry snuggled closer to her. "OK, so I already have an idea, but first I want to know," he paused, tilting his head back and staring up at her, "is my dad back in Storybrooke?"

A frown came upon Mom's face at that, something dark and dangerous, and Henry immediately knew that he wasn't going to see his father again. He could tell by the shadows in Mom's eyes. "Henry, I'm sorry," she whispered, and she really did look sorry, even though Henry knew she hadn't really been that fond of his father. "I know you didn't know him very well, but Neal helped me back in the Enchanted Forest, you know? He sacrificed himself to get a magical bean, so that I could come here and find you guys. He really wanted us all to be together."

Henry didn't feel like crying, because as Mom said, he really didn't know Neal that well. But it had been kind of cool to have a dad for a little while, even if he had the best moms. "It's okay," he muttered, "at least he fought to help you, right?"

"Certainly," Mom promised him.

"But now I remember," Henry mused, quickly blinking away the sadness to move on with his next question. He wanted to know _everything_ , and the quicker he knew everything, the quicker they could really get started on Operation Butterfly. "You and Ma kissed at the townline, too! Are you guys… are you really in love?" He furrowed his brow at that, not quite sure how he felt about it. Even though before he had really meant it when he'd told Regina that he wanted them to be together. Did he still want that when they were both his moms? But of course… he glanced up at Mom, a smile on his face… of course he did. Because that meant they could all be family. Alba, too.

The smile on Mom's face told him everything he needed to know. "I think so, yes. I mean, I'm in love with your other mother. And I have been for a long time. Back in Storybrooke, it felt like she was in love with me, too. Maybe here as well." She stared pensively into space, running her fingers through his hair. "Is that OK?" she finished, repeating the question she'd asked him earlier, when they'd had this talk just as Henry and Regina.

"It's awesome," he said, and her grin turned even bigger. Once they got back home and Ma remembered everything, maybe she and Alba would move into the house with him and Mom, and they'd have mornings together, dinners and weekends. They'd be a family.

She leaned down to press a kiss to his forehead. "Thank you."

Henry pulled back, sitting up straighter and turning to look at her. "I'm still really confused about Alba though…" he trailed off, trying to read the look on her face, "I mean, now that I know everything, I should remember clearly if Ma got inseminated to have the baby, right? But she _didn't._ She really didn't, Mom! Then the curse created the baby? I don't…" he stopped talking, chewing on his lower lip as he stared at her.

"Actually, sweetie," Mom said as she reached forward to cup his face, "I think the curse and my magic filled in the holes that I didn't fill, because I didn't know you mother was pregnant."

"So she was pregnant before the curse?" Henry wondered. That didn't make any sense either. Who was the father then? His dad? _Hook_?

Mom had a giant grin on her face when she said, "Yes."

He wasn't quite sure what she was so happy about. If she was really in love with Ma – if they were in love with each other – why was she so happy that Ma had had a baby with someone else? Henry knew more about sex and babies now than he did a year and a half ago, and he figured that it wouldn't be nice if someone you loved had a baby with someone else. "But who's the dad?"

"It's kind of hard to explain," Mom said, eyes shining with so much happiness, "but we've come up with the explanation that _I am_."

Henry just stared at her, and knew instantly that it was the truth. "Okay," he breathed, nodding his head, "tell me about it. Leave out the details, but… tell me about it."

Mom poured them both some more iced tea and started to talk.

* * *

A/N: Please tell me what you think!


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Neverland

A/N: So here it is! The long awaited Neverland-chapter is finally happening, which means that this chapter takes place in the past compared to where we are in the story now. I really can't remember all of the events and their rightful order of the show, so if anything is off, I apologise beforehand. This chapter comes with a **warning** as it is explicit (you know, how Alba came to be), just so you're all aware of it going in. Plus, Hook is obviously present as they are in Neverland. But I hope you enjoy!

* * *

 **CHAPTER THIRTEEN – NEVERLAND**

Regina was getting really tired of traipsing through this wild and untamed jungle that was the main part of Neverland. They'd been at it for days, and the only thing they were getting closer to was her murdering the Two Idiots – not at finding Henry. Which was frustrating and heartbreaking all at the same time, especially because Regina didn't feel like she was doing _enough._

Pan was obviously playing tricks on them, and whatever he wanted with Henry, they were giving him plenty of time and opportunity to get it done. It was clearly frustrating Emma too, if her silent stewing and angry mumbling was anything to go by. Of course it didn't appear to help that that damned _captain_ was trailing around behind her like some kind of lost little puppy. Honestly, it made Regina want to vomit or something.

And they'd just escaped that damn trigger. When were they ever going to catch a break? Things were finally moving forward with her and Henry, albeit slowly, but it seemed like it was just one thing after the other since the curse broke. Regina just wanted some time with her son – was that too much to ask? At least if she'd stopped the trigger alone and let everyone escape he would have remembered her as a good person; a hero. And she suspected it wouldn't have been too horrible for him to live the rest of his childhood with Emma. She wasn't a terrible mother, although a very different kind of mom than Regina herself. She would do right by him if Regina ever disappeared from his life. It could happen – she'd sacrifice herself for him without a second thought.

And Emma – Emma had been right there with her in the mines that day. As if the Charmings coming to her rescue wasn't enough, their infuriating offspring had to come to her aid, stand by her and just do it, _together. Together,_ she'd said, and it just made it that much harder for Regina to hate her, to keep up this stupid charade of loathing, to not lo- Regina clenched her jaw and stared straight ahead as unpleasant thoughts started ruminating in her head. Thoughts she should have never started to entertain, because now apparently her mind found it appropriate to make them up at any time. Even now when she was walking a few feet behind Emma and the one-handed pirate, and her eyes somehow managed to find their way onto Emma's butt in those tight jeans.

Emma swatted Hook's hand away as it slowly begun to wind its way around her midsection. Regina scowled, but couldn't help but smile at his wounded, "But aye, love, it's all in good fun," when Emma pushed the arm away. Because _no,_ it wasn't all in _good fun,_ they were looking for their son, not going away on a romantic vacation. Thankfully Emma appeared to agree with her on that one.

"Do we go left or right here?" the blonde wondered aloud, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth as she stared down at the map Hook had provided them with.

Hook said, "Love, I think-"

But Emma cut him off, turning her head to stare backwards, glancing away from Hook, eyes briefly meeting Regina's with a sheepish smile, before moving towards her parents who were further behind Regina, "David, can you come here for a sec.?"

David immediately pushed past Regina in the underbrush, clumsily – just like his equally clumsy daughter – wading through the green leaves. He stopped by Hook and Emma, glaring confusingly down at the map, and Regina paused to get herself some water. The heat was _suffocating,_ and as she unscrewed the lid she wondered why she even let Charming and Hook lead this rescue-party in the first place. It was only because Emma was also there, and she wasn't completely useless, otherwise she would have _really-_

"We'll find him," Mary Margaret said as she stopped next to Regina, unscrewing the lid on her own water bottle as well.

"Huh," Regina murmured, eyes trained distractingly on the way Emma's biceps flexed as she eagerly pointed and argued with Hook and her father.

"Henry," Mary Margaret clarified softly, "we'll find him."

Regina tore her eyes away from Emma's arm and screwed the lid back onto her water bottle. "I guess that's one good thing about him being a Charming," she snarled, brown eyes settling onto the other woman, "you always find each other."

The three others begun walking slightly more to the right, and Mary Margaret and Regina set after them, trailing further behind. Hook was using his hook to weave the green away, and Emma was still staring down at the map while David swung his sword. Regina caught herself staring at Emma's downturned lips, and Mary Margaret nudged her slightly on the arm.

"You don't have to scold at them, they know what they're doing," she softly sighed, misunderstanding Regina's gaze entirely. She supposed it was for the better, as she was pretty sure that Snow White would have a conniption if she ever learned what Regina really thought of her daughter.

 _Her daughter's physique._ This was purely physical. Regina reminded herself of that. "Forgive me if I'm not entirely convinced," she replied, acerbic.

Mary Margaret appeared unbothered. "No, this will work out," she said, voice hopeful and eyes shimmering as she glanced ahead, "We have to have faith that it will. We'll find Henry, we'll defeat Pan and we can all go back to Storybrooke. Be a family."

Regina eyed her angrily, booted feet hitting the ground as she frowned. "Well, if you think I'll just let Henry continue to stay at your cozy little _loft_ then you are surely mistaking, because Henry is _my son_ , and-" she cut herself off when she realised that Mary Margaret was looking at her with wide eyes and that disgustingly sweet smile on her face.

"Regina," she softly said, and she reached her hand out to grasp Regina's, "I said we could _all_ be a family."

Staring at her, Regina wasn't sure what to say to that.

Mary Margaret added, "That includes you, you know." She let go of the hand and turned to follow the beaten path of the others, "We're family. Whether you like it or not," she added, and Regina followed after her, sending angry daggers towards the back of her head.

—

They made camp in a small clearing that provided some kind of shelter – from the night and from the Lost Boys – and Emma stared down at the map in her lap, trying to vaguely mark the place where she thought they were at. It frustrated her that it was taking so long to get through all of this, and they still needed to find a way off the island as well, once they got Henry back.

It didn't help very much that her parents were sickeningly cute and loving, and that they refused to leave her alone for more than a few minutes at a time. She felt smothered, bothered by the love and affection they were throwing onto her so easily. She hated herself a little bit for it, but they just didn't understand. She might have found them again, but she'd found them 28 years too late, and they were never going to be her parents in the rightful sense. This island was a painful reminder of that, because more than anything, she understood where most of these boys were coming from. She might as well have been one of them.

Mary Margaret and Regina were arguing slightly over the fire where they were trying to make some semblance of dinner, and David was off finding more wood for the fire while Hook was lingering nearby, hovering mere feet away and leering at her.

She really did not have the energy to deal with his attempts at flirting either. She knew she should probably make herself clear – but hell, she felt like she'd _done that_ already, plural times – but maybe he just didn't get it. She wasn't interested in fooling around with a 300-year-old pirate, especially not one who'd practically, and in some way, fathered her ex-boyfriend _and_ recently tortured the mother of her son. She just wasn't entirely sure that he understood that completely.

Emma groaned and folded the map in her lap, kicking her feet out and falling onto her back. She stared into the sky; just visible through the tree-tops, the night dark, but with plenty of light from the abundance of stars hovering above. She was tired, rightfully so, but she had so much trouble sleeping because Henry just filled her mind, and when he didn't fill her mind, thoughts of loss and abandon did instead. She just wanted to feel _safe,_ to feel loved, to feel like she belonged somewhere.

She closed her eyes and tried to picture what it could be like once they got back to Storybrooke. This was not the life she had ever imagined for herself, but she'd accepted the fact that Storybrooke was her home now, and she didn't want to run anymore. She might not want to live with her parents any longer – and honestly, they ought to get the apartment to themselves – but she wanted to be close to them, able to see them and spend time with them. And Henry's place was with Regina, in the mayoral mansion, so she was going to stay in Storybrooke, because she wanted to be close to him – _close to them,_ she admitted to herself, as she tried to take in calm breaths and slow down her speeding heart.

Something so painful and heartbreaking had taken hold of her chest inside the mine a few days ago. When she'd realised what Regina had been about to do – sacrifice herself for all of them – she also realised that Regina really was changing. She'd believed it before, as probably the only person besides Henry, but this was the proof that they all needed to see: Regina meant it. She wanted to be better, she wanted to be good, and that did strange things to Emma's heart. Not only had it been filled with so much pride and trust in the other woman, but it had also been filled with a sense of dread; the realisation that if Regina succeeded, she'd die, and Emma had not been okay with that.

So she'd jumped in. _Together._ And now there they were.

"You sleeping, love?"

Emma opened her eyes to find Hook hovering over her, staring down at her with that dashing smile of his. It would have probably worked on Emma a few years ago, but she could honestly say that it had no effect on her right now whatsoever. She squinted at him, "I'm just resting my eyes."

Hook grinned. "Ay, I get that, but I was told to inform you that dinner is ready."

Pulling herself into a sitting position, Emma stared through the darkening clearing towards the fire that lit up the three people around it. Her parents were snuggled together, but Regina was turned slightly towards them, bowl made of leaves in her hand, as she glanced at her and Hook. The look on her face was unreadable, and Emma tried to offer her a small smile, which made the other woman quickly turn away.

Regina had been acting so weird ever since they boarded the Jolly Roger.

Hook presented his hand to her, offering his help. "A hand for the lady," he said, and she ignored it as she pulled herself onto her feet.

"What's for dinner," she murmured as she sat down by the fire, relishing the light and the heated flames.

Regina grumbled. "Berries in leaves, and Charming managed to catch a fish in a little stream."

Emma took the offered food from Mary Margaret and smiled gratefully at David. "Thanks."

Hook took a seat next to her – far too closely for her comfort – and accepted another bowl of leaves from David. "So what's the plan now? We should be about a day's journey from the Lost Boys, I reckon."

Mary Margaret said, "I suggest we rest up, get some sleep. We have a fire going, and tomorrow we can trek the rest of the way. It shouldn't be too cold tonight if we make a good fire before we fall asleep."

"Sounds good to me," Emma replied as she slurped down some food by tilting her head back and putting the leaves to her mouth.

"Ey love," Hook grinned and nudged her slightly with his elbow, "I wouldn't mind sharing my body heat with you if you're feeling too cold tonight."

Emma glared at him, but surprisingly, it was Regina who said something, "Free us from your horrendous attempts at flirting with Miss Swan, please, I'd rather keep my dinner in my stomach."

Mary Margaret's eyes turned wide, but Emma couldn't help the smile on her face at Regina's words.

David was poking with a stick at the fire as he said. "I don't think—- _body heat_ will be necessary with this fire." He offered Hook a fatherly glare for good measure.

"It most certainly will not," Regina regally said as she sipped her water bottle.

Emma watched her carefully as she chewed her food, confused by the way that she had been acting throughout this trip. It was probably just worry for Henry's safety, and frustration of not getting there quickly enough, but there was also something else. She'd been oddly quiet at times, stewing, and when she finally said something, it was usually to tell Hook or Mary Margaret off, which probably wasn't so weird after all.

Her parents fell into a conversation about what to do with the Lost Boys, because as Mary Margaret said, they were _lost boys_ thus meaning that they probably just needed the love of a parental figure, and Emma let them discuss that as she finished her dinner and watched Regina out of the corner of her eye. The brunette was staring contemplatively into the fire; her brown eyes were big and soulful, and Emma could only imagine what kind of things that might be going through her mind.

"So love," Hook interrupted her train of thoughts, "once we get back to Storybrooke, how about I take you and your lad out for a day on the sea on the Jolly Roger?"

Emma tore her eyes away from Regina – whose lips had thinned slightly at the sound of Hook's voice – and looked at him. "I'm sure Henry would love a chance to sail a bit. We could invite everyone else," she offered, knowing full well that that wasn't exactly what he had had in mind when he propositioned her.

It didn't seem that that comment let Hook be deterred. "Sure love, and then afterwards, once the lad's back home with the Queen, I can show you my private quarters, aye?" He wriggled his eyebrows and had that certain glint in his eye.

Biting the inside of her cheek, Emma stewed silently for a second. "Well, I'm pretty sure that Henry would love to see them, too. He'll think they're cool," she lamely said, knowing full well that playing it off like that would be her best shot.

Regina snorted, which made Emma pretty sure that she was listening to their conversation.

Hook frowned slightly, but the boyish grin on his face did not leave. "Okay love, we can do that. But what's a pirate got to do to get you to accompany him to dinner, ay?"

"How about bathing more frequently," Regina snapped from her seat, turning her head slightly to look at them, and Emma had to bite her lip to keep herself from laughing.

"This conversation doesn't concern you, Your Highness," Hook wryly said, and his eyes were shooting daggers at her from across the fire.

Regina rolled her eyes and stood up, dusting off her butt. "Get it through your head, pirate, she's _not interested,_ " she snarled, before she reached for her water bottle and continued, "I'm going to go for a walk and find that stream. I need to get away from the filthy stench of leather and cheap rum."

She set off towards the trees, and Hook looked smug as he kicked back, taking out his flask from his inside pocket. Emma watched Regina leave the clearing, and she couldn't help but think that she should follow her. She knew Regina could take care of herself – she wouldn't have become the Evil Queen if she couldn't – but she didn't want her to be alone out there. Plus, she really wanted to make sure that she was okay, since she had been acting so strange the past few days. She abruptly stood up, making her decision.

"Love, where are you going?" Hook questioned, eyes turning wide.

Emma motioned in the direction Regina had just gone, "I've gotta-" she vaguely said and grabbed her water before she started walking.

Mary Margaret said, "Take care, Emma," just as the blonde entered the line of trees, eager to catch up with Regina.

She could easily follow the angry stomps of the other woman, and the stream was clearly nearby, so she just had to follow the sound, and she'd find Regina easily. It only took a few minutes of stumbling through the underbrush, before she found what she was looking for; Regina was sitting on the side of the stream, blazer on the ground next to her, and carefully washing her arms and her face in the cold water. She was beautifully illuminated by the stars and the giant moon, and Emma felt her heart clench. She carefully made her way over and took a seat next to the other woman.

"You shouldn't go off on your own," she carefully offered as she lowered her bottle to the stream and watched as it slowly filled up with water. "We don't know who's out here."

Regina didn't look at her. "Well, the pirate was annoying me, so I had to leave."

Emma bit her lip as she screwed the lid onto her bottle with immense focus. "He's not so bad. He's just…" she trailed off, not even sure what she was going to say. She didn't feel like she could really be too annoyed with him, he was, after all, the reason they were able to get there. He'd graciously offered up the Jolly Roger and navigated them to this place; he was also the person who knew most about it and the reason they would probably be able to find Henry.

"He doesn't understand what 'no' means, and he reeks of rum and cigarettes," Regina snarled as she sat back up, arms glistening with water that would soon enough dry. "He should not be focusing on trying to bed you, but on the reason we're here. Finding Henry," she softly added, and her eyes didn't quite meet Emma's.

The blonde breathed out deeply, staring pensively at the night sky, "Careful Regina," she said, mostly because she didn't know what else to say, and probably also the lighten the mood, "you almost sound jealous."

Regina's eyes snapped to hers, and she was seething. "I am not jealous."

Emma furrowed her brow. It was meant to be a joke, but Regina's reaction told her that perhaps she wasn't too far off. And also – her lie detector pinged loudly at her defence, which just made even less sense. She swallowed loudly, ignoring her own jealousy rumbling in the pit of her stomach. "What, of _Hook_? Really, Regina?"

"I'm not jealous," Regina repeated, averting her eyes.

Shaking her head, Emma said, "Remember my superpower? I always know when you're lying, and you, Regina," she paused, "you're lying." She stared at the other woman's face in the moonlight; Regina's jaw was working under her skin, lips a thin line. "What? Did you have some sordid affair with him back in the Enchanted Forest? Are you jealous that he wants to sleep with me? Don't worry," she bitterly spat, folding her legs and looking away, "you can have him. I'm not interested."

Regina turned to her then, eyes ablaze. "You're an idiot," she spat, before she pulled herself onto her legs and reached for her water bottle and her blazer.

Emma stood up too, frowning slightly at her reaction. "What? I'm an idiot now? What the fuck, Regina?" she hissed.

The brunette turned around on her heel at that, a feet away from Emma. "Yes, Emma Swan, yes, you are most definitely an idiot, you understand _nothing,_ " she snarled. "I'm not jealous of _Hook,_ I couldn't care less about his stupid scruffy face! _You,_ on the other hand," she seethed, breathing in and out for a few seconds as she stared at Emma, "with your saviour complex, and your _togetherness_ , and the way you always, always believe in me."

"Well excuse me for caring about you," Emma replied as she took steps closer, forcing Regina backwards as she neared her. The other woman was so damn frustrating all the time, and Emma had no way of knowing what was really going through her mind, and what she really thought and felt. It was killing her, because she wanted nothing more than to reassure the fuck out of her, but when Regina tried so hard to keep her out, it was impossible to climb those walls.

"You _care about me_ ," Regina snarled, back pressed against the trunk of a tree, items dropping from her hands, "Really Emma? You, the Saviour, you care about the Evil Queen?" She frowned, brown eyes hard and cold as she regarded her, "You have no idea, do you? You might be brave, but you have _no idea._ "

Emma pressed closer, face inches from Regina's, and chests almost pressed together. "No idea about _what,_ " she murmured, hands coming up to rest on the rough bark of the tree. _God,_ Regina was beautiful like this, so freakishly pretty with skin glistening of sweat and that damn scar on her upper lip.

Regina didn't say anything, she breathed in and out, breaths coming out short, as their chests moulded together. Her eyes were trained on Emma's as they stood there in silence, but for a second – just a tiny little second – they slipped from Emma's eyes to rest on her lips, and that was when Emma _knew._ She had always been much better at actions than words, and suddenly Regina made a whole lot more sense to her, because that slip – that slip explained more than any words could, and Emma wasted no time reacting exactly how her own body wanted her to.

"You're so fucking frustrating," she growled, before she leaned forward and slammed her lips to Regina's. The response was almost immediate; it took mere seconds for Regina to feverishly kiss her back, and the brunette's hands came to clutch roughly at the material of Emma's cut-off tank top. Their mouths meshed, teeth clashing and tongues probing, and Emma found herself flush against Regina, one hand in her hair and the other holding onto her hip. Her tongue dove into Regina's mouth, slipping past plumb lips to roam over the roof of her mouth as she pushed the shorter woman further against the tree.

She was rewarded with a breathless moan, Regina's one hand coming up to tangle in her ponytail, as Emma pulled back, trailing her kiss over Regina's jaw and down her throat, where they found a home in the nape of her neck, sucking at delicious skin that tasted salty of sweat. Raking her fingers through Emma's hair, the elastic band fell to the ground, and Emma let her one hand roam over thighs, stomach and ass, taking in as much as she could of this moment.

Their lips slanted together again, but this time slower, with less urgency, and Emma moved her hands up the other woman's arms, over her shoulders, to cup her face, a hand on each cheek. "Regina, what is-" she begun, breathless, but she was cut short by the mere look on Regina's face. Her olive skin was rosy in the dark, and her eyes shimmered with something wild and unspoken that Emma couldn't place. She was breathing rapidly too, chest rising and falling visibly beneath her dark shirt. Emma lowered her head to press her forehead against Regina's. "You don't wanna talk about this?"

Regina shook her head, fingers clutching almost painfully at the nape of Emma's neck. "No," she breathed throatily, "please just – _fuck me, Emma._ "

Never had Emma ever been demanded anything quite so incredible, and she wasted no time diving back in, pressing her lips to Regina's again as she moaned from the back of her throat. Her knee pressed between Regina's legs, Emma clawed at the other woman's shirt. Somewhere in the back of her mind she was aware of the fact that there were so many reasons why they probably shouldn't do this – at least not right now – but she honestly couldn't find it in herself to stop and think about it. It was a problem to be solved by Future Emma, and she just _wanted_ this so badly right now.

Regina ground her hips to Emma's, pulling back slightly so the blonde could remove her shirt, and she moaned as Emma lowered her lips to her cleavage and trailed her mouth over the straining nipples poking through the fabric of Regina's bra. She moaned, breathing heavily for a second or two, before she pushed at Emma's chest, demanding. "Ground."

"Just a sec.," Emma murmured, pulling back slightly, breathless at the look of complete and utter want in Regina's eyes. She pulled her shirt over her head, and bent down to place it on the ground along with Regina's shirt. She stepped back, grinning sheepishly at the brunette, who was eyeing her with an amused look. "It's not much, uh," Emma motioned towards the shirts, "but uh…"

Stepping forward, Regina hooked a finger into the strap of Emma's jeans, and she lowered herself onto the ground, beckoning the blonde to follow her. As Emma did, coming to kneel between her legs, she couldn't help but appreciate just how incredibly beautiful Regina looked right there. Tousled hair, hungry eyes and a wicked smile. Once more Emma was reminded of how she had felt a few days ago when she thought that Regina was going to die because of the trigger.

She'd been so scared. So fucking painfully scared, because she did not want Regina to die; it had felt like her heart had been ripped from her chest and squeezed to almost-dust. And that was when she'd finally accepted why.

"Emma," Regina throatily breathed, pulling her closer, the blonde landing on top of her, only resting on her elbow so she didn't crush her.

She smiled, staring down at the gorgeous woman underneath her. Her blonde locks fell down, almost locking them inside a small cocoon of their own, and she ran her hands down the side of Regina's body, hesitating only slightly at the zipper of her slacks, before popping the button open. This was turning out so very different than the _just fuck_ that Regina had requested not that long ago, but Emma couldn't help herself. She couldn't turn her feelings off, even in a moment like this, and Regina was looking at her almost tenderly, before their lips met in a languid kiss. Emma slipped her hand into Regina's pants, straight into her lace underwear, only to be met with an abundance of wetness.

It coated her fingers immediately, and Emma moaned into Regina's mouth as she felt the other woman spread her legs even further, inviting her in. Regina was so responsive as Emma slowly pumped one finger, then two, in and out, pressing against her with the palm of her hand. She moaned, pulling away from the kiss as Emma buried her head in the nook of her neck and continued to pull in and out of her while she listened to the rapidly increasing breaths coming from the other woman's throat.

"Fuck, Emma," Regina murmured, fingers tugging at her hair so their eyes could lock. Green met brown, and Emma smiled down at her with her heart thudding madly in her chest as she halted her movements. "Why are you stopping," Regina questioned, and it came out almost like a whine.

Emma bit her lip, bending her nose to nuzzle Regina's. "It's just… I've wanted this for so long," she heard herself admit, not even embarrassed that she was two fingers deep inside of her, and suddenly she was talking about _feelings_ instead of fucking the gorgeous woman beneath her.

Regina gazed up at her, eyes clouded with so many emotions that Emma couldn't tell them apart. "You have," she whispered as her long fingers came down to stroke across her jawbone. "Me too," she added, and there was something so serious about that; something so electrifying in the air between them that it almost took Emma's breath away.

Meeting her for another kiss, Emma started to move her fingers again, frustrated with the lack of space available for her, but hopeful that they'd get to do this again sometime when the circumstances were better. She felt Regina's hand travel down her stomach and fidget briefly with the button of her jeans, and as their tongues pressed against each other, nimble fingers slipped into her, and Emma moaned against her.

 _Shit that feels good._ She pressed almost her entire weight onto Regina's body, having trouble keeping upright with the feel of the other woman's fingers between her legs. Regina was clenching around her, breathing growing more erratic, and Emma stared down at her as she laid there – eyes screwed shut, hair sprawled across the forest floor, and mouth slightly agape – and she was literally the most perfect woman she had ever seen. It hit her right then and there that this; this feeling she had with Regina underneath her, around her, inside of her, it felt more like home than anything had ever done before. The feeling of being such a lost girl wasn't there right now, all she felt was wanted, loved, appreciated for who she was. Regina never asked her to be somebody else, or expected anything of her. It felt like she could truly be herself, and as she looked at Regina beneath her, she felt like Regina could truly be herself as well.

Maybe they could do this. Maybe they could get Henry back and be a family. They could make a life together where staring down at Regina like this was an everyday occurrence. They could get a house. Siblings for Henry maybe. She stifled a moan as Regina opened her eyes and their gazes locked again.

"I love you," Emma heard herself murmur into her mouth, and something almost electric surged through her at that, and it wasn't just because Regina was hitting the right spot inside of her. Something almost magical spread around them, and Emma felt it deeply inside of her, as Regina picked up speed. She felt it soar from those magical hands all through her body, and as Regina pressed against her clit, Emma came with a strangled cry, only swallowed by Regina's mouth as they kissed.

Her body shook, and her arm was cramping, but she continued to pump until she felt Regina stiffen violently beneath her, pelvis pressing against her hand. They rode it out together, breaths mingled and bodies sweaty, and only when Emma was able to catch her breath did she pull out and roll onto the ground beside Regina. The brunette's chest was still heaving, hair wonderfully tousled, and Emma stared at her, wondering if she was truly lucky enough for this to be hers.

Regina tilted her head to the side. She had a beautiful smile on her lips, and she reached her hand up to brush Emma's sweaty blonde locks behind her ear. "Em-ma," she whispered in that wonderfully slow way of hers. Emma had always loved the way her name sounded coming across those lips.

"We should talk about this, okay, because," Emma paused, eyes darting back and forth between Regina's, "because this is more than just sex for me."

"Me too," Regina whispered, clammy hand resting on her cheek. "But let's discuss is once we're back in Storybrooke, hm? _With our son._ Let the dust settle."

Emma tilted her head to press her lips to Regina's palm. "I'd like that," she whispered.

They stared at each other then, the only sounds were the rustling of leaves, the water in the stream, some kind of bird in the night. And it was the first time that Emma had felt truly comforted and at peace in a long time. They still had a lot of shit to do to find Henry, but she was positive that they would. They'd get him back, return to Storybrooke and she and Regina could talk. It'd be like she finally found a place where she belonged. Because Regina loved her, too, even if she didn't say it. Emma was certain of it, because if there was one person she knew and could always read, it was Regina. She didn't need to say the words back to her for Emma to know, not if she was too scared to do so. Emma knew.

The sound of someone weaving through the underbrush broke them out of their small bubble, and Emma sat up, suddenly remembering that her parents and Hook were nearby, waiting for them to return to the camp.

"Emma? Regina?" It was David, and he was whisper-yelling, trying to find them, but also trying not to give away their location.

Emma scrambled to grab their shirts, and Regina got off the ground too, dusting off her slacks, closing the button, as Emma pulled on her shirt and sheepishly handed Regina hers. "Here," she breathed, and she quickly grabbed Regina's blazer and water bottle as well.

Regina combed her fingers through her hair, just as Emma buttoned her own jeans and David's head poked through the trees. "There you are," he said, as he stepped closer, that optimistic smile on his face. "Mary Margaret was starting to grow a bit worried. Everything OK now?"

"It's wonderful," Regina replied and she slipped into her blazer. "We talked and we're ready to come back now."

David grinned. "Fantastic," he said, and he motioned for Regina to take the lead back towards the camp. As Emma moved to follow her, his hand came out to stop her.

"What," she scowled, eyeing him.

"It's just," he reached a hand up to her hair, "you have twigs and leaves all over the back of your head."

She reached up, immediately feeling them herself. "Oh, yeah. Uh," she swallowed, mouth dry like parchment, "I laid down while we, uh… talked," she lamely finished, and she swore she heard Regina snort in amusement a few feet into the woods.

"Oh," David furrowed his brow, and for a second she thought that maybe he was going to question her further, but then he shrugged. "Okay. Well, we should get back. We have the perfect plan to get Henry back tomorrow, so before you know it, we'll be back eating bear claws at Granny's."

Emma grinned as she followed him into the woods. Suddenly, she couldn't wait.

* * *

A/N: So there you have it! Now the events of Neverland are all clear to you guys (just imagine these events mixed up with the canon events, yeah?). Also, remember the first chapter? When Regina and Emma were in Emma's bedroom at the loft, and Regina asked her about Neverland, and Emma told her that she didn't want to talk about it. Regina said, "Just know that I do," and Emma said, "I know" – so now you can all guess what that was in reference to.

Thanks so much for reading!


	14. Chapter Fourteen: You Gotta Crawl Before

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN – YOU GOTTA CRAWL BEFORE YOU CAN WALK**

Regina finished her story and smiled softly at Henry. She'd skipped the more racy details that were obviously not for her son's ears, sliding over them as gracefully as possible. In the story, her and Emma had 'been together' in the woods instead of 'had sex', which she found kind of silly, because the look Henry had given her at that part in the story told her that he was very much aware of what exactly they had done, and thus they both just pretended that they didn't know this as she finished her tale.

They'd managed to drink all of the iced tea while she talked, and now Henry was watching her contemplatively, green eyes narrowed and his usual thinking-face marring his features. She suspected that it had to be a lot of news for him to take in all of a sudden, and she didn't blame him for being a bit confused. There was not only the fact that his mothers were apparently together at one point, but he also had a sister, and everything was a bit messed up.

"Obviously, I don't know what was going through Emma's mind when she kissed me, but…" Regina trailed off, not quite sure where she wanted to go with this addition. She'd never actually managed to talk to Emma about what had happened that night, so she had no idea what caused the other woman to go from _frustrating_ to _fuck_ to _love_ in such a short span of time. Not that Regina hadn't gone through those phases just as quickly, because she'd been right there with her.

Henry rolled his eyes at her. "Well, obviously she loved you and she couldn't wait to tell you. Duh," he said.

Regina raised an eyebrow at him, thoroughly amused and just so very happy to have her son in front of her again. "Well, aren't you a mister smarty-pants?"

He furrowed his brow. Obviously he still had questions for her, because he was Henry after all, and he always had questions. "So, when we got back to Storybrooke," he begun, "why didn't you guys talk sooner?"

"I think we were both waiting for the right time," Regina softly replied. She reached a hand out to gently lay it atop his on the table. "It never seemed to be, and all of a sudden you guys had to leave."

Henry's eyes were big and round when he looked at her. "I'm sorry, Mom," he honestly said, and he seemed so sincere that it warmed her heart. "I'm sorry that you had to miss Alba's birth and the pregnancy. I know Ma would have really wanted you to be there if she'd known."

Regina stroked her thumb across his hand. "I know," she nodded. And she did know. Because the Emma from her story – the Emma she fell in love with and whom she slept with in Neverland – she would have wanted that. And even though it was hard, Regina knew that that Emma was still present, buried beneath this stubborn woman who didn't known her true self. "But," she said, trying to lighten the mood, "are you really sure you're okay with me and Emma? I don't want to be presumptuous, but hopefully, when she gets her memories back, she'll want to be with me."

Nodding eagerly, Henry said, "Of course I'm okay! It's the dream! We can all be a family back in Storybrooke."

It was the dream, and Regina could hardly believe that she was a step closer to achieving it. She had her _son back._ Henry was sitting right in front of her, and he knew exactly who she was – who he was – and he was happy that she was there. He wasn't mad or too sad about having to leave his life in New York behind, he appeared all too eager to get back to the rest of his family and the few friends he had in Storybrooke. It helped a little bit, with the guilt she'd been feeling for wanting to tear them away from their New York life, and she could only hope that Emma would be as enthusiastic as Henry when she found out.

And even if Emma didn't want to go back for some reason – Regina could move here – she could be close to her children, spend time with both of them. It wasn't ideal, because she'd rather be back home where she had her magic and her house, but it seemed like Emma held all the cards at this point, because Regina had no legal rights to Alba. And she _couldn't_ leave her daughter behind.

Not to mention that it'd break Snow and Charmings heart all over again, but Regina couldn't force Emma to do anything that she didn't want to do.

"Don't worry," Henry assured her with a big smile, "she'll want to come back with us and be a family. I just know it." He leaped forward once more and hugged her tight, and she savoured the feeling of him so close to her. She wanted to touch him all the time, was hardly able to let him go, but he was also a teenager soon, and she had to respect his space, even if it was hard.

Regina pressed a kiss to his hair and breathed in his scent. _God,_ she'd missed him. For such a long time, he was the only good thing about her life, and now she finally had it back. She hoped that her life would consist of more good things though – and she knew it would, because _Alba_ – even if Henry would always be her little prince. "I've missed your never-ending optimism," she murmured into his hair, closing her eyes. Savouring it.

Henry grinned as he pulled back, green eyes alight with happiness. "So Operation Butterfly," he stated, wriggling his eyebrows, a clear mirror of Emma. "I think we should let me have a stab at it. I've got tricks up my sleeve, you know."

Laughing, Regina ran a hand through his hair – slightly greasy, because apparently her son was now a young man who used hair products to style his unruly locks – and said, "I have no doubt that you do. I just – I have to make up with Emma, too. I can't accept things as they are right now."

"You'll make up," Henry said with a fond eye roll. "She wants to, she was already sad this morning, I could tell."

"Yes you could," Regina said, poking him slightly in the ribs with love, "when you were listening in, you little weasel. We need to talk about this when we get back home!"

Henry gaped at her. "Mo-om," he whined, but she could tell that it was all in good fun.

Regina laughed again, not able to contain her happiness, even if there were still so many things wrong that she had to fix. She didn't have Alba with her – and she didn't have Emma who was completely mad at her; but she did have Henry. Henry remembered her, and if she could get him to remember, she could get Emma to remember, and if Emma remembered, she got Alba. It was what she had to tell herself, even if it was hard to keep believing. Thankfully having Henry's love back again did wonders for her belief-system. "So, should I return with her things later?"

With a shrug, Henry said, "She'll come here looking for me."

"She will?" Regina questioned.

Henry grinned. "Yeah, she'll know I'm right here! Remember how she calls me her little shit?"

Regina sighed and pressed another kiss to his face, several in fact, peppering them along his hairline and his cheeks. She did remember how Emma called him a little shit, and honestly, she'd have to talk to them about that, too.

"Now, can I call Gran and Gramps?" Henry continued seriously as he pulled back from her.

Laughing, Regina reached for her phone, discarded on the table after Henry had seen the pictures, and she pressed Mary Margaret's name and put it on speaker, waiting patiently as it dialled. She glanced at Henry who looked much too excited for someone who was about to speak to Snow White and Prince Charming, but she couldn't get enough of his beautiful, boyish face. She understood his excitement though, entirely from his perspective. The Two Idiots _were_ his grandparents after all.

"Regina?" Mary Margaret's voice sounded through the phone, and she appeared to be tired, "Please tell me you've made some progress. Albert Spencer is driving me insane with all his requests, and there's opened a new bar called Aesop's Tables and Charming keeps getting night calls. I don't know if I should have allowed him to open up, but I figured why not make the nightlife in Storybrooke a little livelier, you know? But it's gotten Lacey from the Rabbit Hole giving me angry calls, because-"

"Gran!" Henry excitedly exclaimed, unable to contain his happiness for a second longer, even through Mary Margaret's rant.

There was silent on the other end for a few seconds, Mary Margaret undoubtedly caught of guard – not only because she was interrupted, but also because of who interrupted her - and Regina held her breath. "Henry, is that you?" Mary Margaret quietly asked, and it was evident that she was about to cry.

Henry nodded. "Yes, it's me! I remember! I remember _everything_! I miss you," he rattled off, and Regina's hand somehow found his, squeezing it tightly.

"Oh my God, _Henry_ ," Mary Margaret cried, "Hold on a sec., I gotta find Charming." There was some rustling on the phone, and they could hear her call for David on the other end, before he was on the phone instead.

"Henry, is that you, son?" David asked, and his voice was so hopeful that Regina could hardly feel annoyed at him. Hardly being the operative word.

Henry grinned. "Yeah, I'm here with Mom," he explained and squeezed her hand back. "Ma doesn't remember yet, only me," he quickly added, because they didn't want them to get their hopes up.

Mary Margaret laughed, "She's such a stubborn mule. But Henry," she softly said, "oh, I'm so glad that you woke up, now you can help Regina with everything."

"That's the plan," Regina replied, and she locked eyes with Henry, who was grinning madly, and looking all too pleased with these turn of events. She still couldn't phantom that he was actually sitting right in front of her, remembering, and that she could hug him and kiss him whenever she wanted to. It had been torture to have him so close and still not have him – even if she'd much prefer it to not having him at all – and now she just couldn't get enough of her little prince. "We have an Operation."

Mary Margaret gushed, "Oh, tell us everything!"

Henry got comfortable on the chair and begun talking. "It's Operation Butterfly. I'm going to try to get her to remember stuff. I don't think we can use pictures though, because Ma's way too suspicious for that." He crossed his legs on the chair and continued, "It's going to be tricky, but I guess I'll try to talk about the fairytales, make it sound like the ones I wrote. And I still want her and Mom to date, but she's pretty mad right now, I think."

David hummed in agreement. "Yes, I can imagine that my daughter is pretty confused and angry with Regina right now. How are you going to get her to forgive you?"

"We can't lie," Regina said with a sigh, resting her hands anxiously in her lap. "She knows immediately. That's what set this whole thing off."

"It'd be so much easier if you were back in Storybrooke," Mary Margaret said with a wistful sigh. "I mean, it wouldn't be ideal, but if you guys were here, she wouldn't be able to _leave_ and she'd have to see the truth eventually."

David sighed as well. "Yes, and we'd be able to see her – and _you guys_."

Mary Margaret interjected, "And Alba, oh goodness!"

Regina fidgeted with the ring on her finger. "Yes, I suspect it would make things a bit more easy. And I'd have _magic_ again. That should convince her."

"It was so hard to get her to believe the first time," Henry said next, eyes locking to Regina's as he spoke. She gave him a supportive nod. "I had the book sure, but she's such a _non-believer_ ," he mused. "I guess Mom doing magic would have to make her see though."

"You should think about it," Mary Margaret stated, never mind the fact that it was going to be impossible to get Emma to go anywhere outside of New York.

"Anyway," David said next, tone growing lighter as he brushed all that talk off the table, "tell us _everything_ about your life, Henry!"

Regina moved to make some coffee while Henry excitedly begun recalling everything he had been up to for the last year and a half.

—-

Emma knocked on the door to Regina's apartment, Alba hoisted on one hip and her diaper bag thrown over the other shoulder. They'd just said goodbye to Lily downstairs, who'd lent her the spare key that she always carried in case Emma wouldn't be able to get her things back from Regina right now. She didn't think it was going to be a problem though. She had this suspicious inkling that she was going to find her eavesdropping son inside the other woman's apartment, but she had not told Lily that.

The door opened to reveal a nervous-looking Regina, and Emma suspected that the brunette had probably guessed who would be on the other side of the door. "Emma, hi," she said and took a step back to let Emma enter the apartment.

"I'd like to get my shit," Emma said, dropping Alba onto the floor. She couldn't see Henry, but she just knew that she was right. "Henry, please watch your sister in the living room for a second," she informed the room, and as she walked by Regina to enter the kitchen, she almost collided with him in the doorway. "Regina and I need to talk a moment, but don't think you're off the hook," she sternly said – or as sternly as she was able to. She really never had been a parent with a lot of rules and restrictions.

She had tried to talk herself into feeling a bit more of that anger she had left Regina's apartment with yesterday, but talking to Lily as they walked slowly around Central Park with Alba in the stroller had calmed her a lot. Most of her anger at the other woman had fizzled out at this point; what she was left with was a serious case of confusion, and – she'd had trouble admitting this aloud to Lily just thirty minutes ago – hurt. She was _hurt_ that Regina had hid something from her, and even more hurt that the other woman had lied and wouldn't tell her what was truly going on.

"Yes Ma," Henry replied and stepped past her into the living room where he immediately kneeled down to the floor to entertain Alba, who was already manoeuvring around on her tummy, trying to get to the rug underneath the couch.

Regina anxiously entered the kitchen; her hand was on her lower stomach, a sign of nervousness if Emma ever saw one, and the brunette motioned towards the chairs by the kitchen table. "You want anything to drink?" she offered, as they both took a seat.

Emma shook her head. "No, I," she paused, brow furrowed, "I really just wanna talk for a second."

Nodding, Regina motioned for her to continue. "Then talk."

"Alright," Emma said as she swallowed loudly. This conversation was much harder to break into now that she was actually sitting right in front of Regina. An hour ago, when she'd been discussing this with Lily, she'd had plenty of points, but now she hardly remembered any of them. Regina's beauty – even in yoga pants and a sweater – was truly distracting. "I'm a bit confused about the… the drink-thingy," Emma begun, "I mean, I'm also a bit confused about what's going on with your kid and his mother and stuff, because I actually thought that we were hitting it off. But uh, back to the drink…" she trailed off, wanting to get this part out of the way first. "I hope you understand that it is very suspicious of you to have two strange drinks in your apartment with mine and Henry's names on them."

"I understand," Regina quickly said, nodding her head.

Emma sighed. "Good. I wish you could tell me what they were for, but uh – if you can promise me that they were not to harm us, then uh, then I guess I'd be willing to let it go—" She swallowed loudly again, not quite believing that she was actually doing this, "— _for now_ ," she added, with a challenging look at Regina. Damn Lily and the way she'd managed to talk her into this – well, she hadn't needed much convincing, because she did like Regina a lot, and like Lily had reminded her, that didn't happen everyday.

Regina's lips curled upwards in a small smile. "They were not to harm you. I would _never,_ " she softly murmured, and Emma was totally and completely sure that that was the truth.

Forcing out a smile as well, she said, "Okay. Good. Uh, I just – just know that I don't trust easily, so this is a huge deal for me."

"I know," Regina replied, and once more, Emma was completely sure that she did.

"Okay," she said, and she was about to continue to the next part of her agenda, when Regina rose from her chair and moved to the counter, "…what?" Her eyes turned wide when Regina turned back around, the potion – only _one_ of them, the one labelled _Emma_ – in her hand.

The brunette tentatively retook her seat on the chair. "If it makes you feel better," she whispered, slowly placing the vial on the table, right in the center, halfway to her and halfway to Emma. The liquid slushed inside of it. "You can take this vial. You have to promise me not to break it or throw it out, but," she worried her bottom lip with her front teeth, hesitating, "but I understand that it must make you feel better to have it in your possession, so you know where it is. Just – don't ruin it. Please?"

Emma carefully reached a hand across the table and took the vial between two fingers. She knew that this was huge in some way; this drink was obviously very important to Regina, but now the other woman was compromising by letting Emma have it in her possession, knowing that it would make _Emma_ feel better. She'd probably never understand what the deal was with this vial and why it was so important, but at least if she hid it in her apartment, she knew that she wouldn't accidentally drink something that she didn't want to drink. It felt kind of odd, like this was their compromise on something she didn't quite understand, but she wanted to take this olive branch for what it was – Regina was extending it to her, trusting her with it – and go with it. It wasn't ideal, because she'd be happiest if Regina didn't have the vial at all, but wasn't this what relationships were about? Compromises. Emma sure felt like it was.

"I can take this with me?" she questioned, eyes meeting Regina's seriously. She held the vial tightly, watching for a flicker of _something_ – Emma wasn't sure what – in her brown eyes. She felt like this was a huge step for her, which Regina seemed to be aware of as well, because she would have never compromised on her own opinions and beliefs like this before; not until now, not until Regina. Regina made her want to take that leap of faith that Lily kept talking about.

Regina offered her a smile; a warm one, entirely true and honest. "Yes. Just promise me that you will not break it."

Emma answered without missing a beat, "I promise."

"Thank you," Regina honestly replied, and she relaxed visibly at this.

Furrowing her brow, Emma carefully placed the vial inside the pocket of her red jacket and zipped it closed. She knew she had to ask, even if she wasn't sure that she wanted to hear the answer. "Where's the other one?"

Regina arched an eyebrow. "I'll let you talk to Henry about that. He has _the vial_ ," she said, and Emma accepted that, her lie detector detecting nothing. "So," Regina anxiously continued, "are we good about that? Can we talk about the other thing, because Emma, I," she paused once more, breathing deeply in and out for a few seconds, "I really like you."

"I really like you, too," Emma breathed back, and it was just easier somehow, to let her know this now that she had the vial in her own pocket. It had been so easy to fall for Regina; the older woman was kind, beautiful, sexy as hell – and she was good with both Henry and Alba, and it didn't seem to scare her that Emma had a lot of baggage. She'd made it natural to like her, like falling off a cliff, knowing you'd be caught, and Emma had been so upset today by the mere thought of having to climb back up those walls again and let her go. "So uh, can we talk about this thing with your ex?"

"There's nothing to talk about," Regina quickly said, brushing it off easily. "I know what I said must have confused you, but Emma," she reached a hand across the table at that, watching Emma carefully as she let her fingers slide across the palm of her hand, "I only wanna be with you."

Letting their fingers intertwine on the table top, Emma watched her, regarded her face, but there was no flinch or hesitation. She _wasn't lying._ Regina wasn't lying. "No one else?" she questioned, squeezing Regina's fingers.

"No one else," Regina confirmed with a head shake, and Emma felt like she could finally breathe freely for the first time since she ran out of Regina's apartment the night before. Fuck, she'd been worried – worried that Regina wasn't as into her as she was into Regina – and perhaps she'd been fooling herself into thinking that this entire thing had mostly been about the vials, when really it had been about Regina's ex-wife and whether or not Emma even stood a chance. Perhaps Lily had been _slightly_ onto something when she'd suggested that.

"So uh," she grinned shyly, loving the feeling of Regina's fingers interlaced with her own. "I uh, I think maybe I'd like to go out again, if you… if you still wanna?" She presented it as a question, kind of, and smiled hopefully at the other woman. "Do you want to?"

"Of course I do," Regina blinked, and her cheeks were pinking slightly, "I'm just, I'm really glad that you've decided to trust me on this, Emma, and I would like to date you again. How about this Friday?"

Emma couldn't help but grin foolishly at that. It was exactly what she wanted. "I'd like that," she hummed softly. "I have to make sure Lily can babysit first, but that's rarely a problem with her. Should I dress all fancy like last night?"

A beautiful smile edged its way across Regina's face and she softly shook her head. "Actually, I'd like to cook for you here, is that OK?" Her warm eyes shone with mirth, and she added, "You should dress comfortably. I'll make dinner, we can watch a movie, get to know each other better…"

As she trailed off, Emma was left to imagine what kind of things Regina thought of when she suggested they get to 'know each other better'. Her body tingled in places it hadn't tingled in a very long time, and a shiver ran down her spine as she thought about what such a date could mean. She wasn't even sure that Regina was thinking along the lines that Emma's mind had completely gone to, but she'd be lying if she said she hadn't wanted to do this since the first time she laid eyes on Regina. That woman was just _gorgeous_. And she was wonderful as well, making Emma feel things she'd never felt before. Sure, the situation wasn't ideal at all – with the vials and the trust that had somehow been broken - but it was the best they could do for the moment, and what was it even going to matter ten, twenty or forty years down the line? _Urgh Emma, you're getting ahead of yourself,_ she thought, squeezing Regina's fingers as she nodded her head. "I'd… I'd like that," she murmured, and she could feel her cheeks tinting a little pink.

Regina squeezed her fingers right back. "Wonderful. You should come by at six."

Emma simply looked at her at that, not sure what to say to her, because her mind was making up wonderful pictures inside of her head, and she couldn't stop staring at Regina's beautiful face.

"Mom! Ma!" Henry's excited yell broke her out of their trance, and she paused for a second – thoroughly confused, because Henry had never, once in his life, called her 'Mom' before – as she pushed her chair back. "Ma, Alba's crawling, she's crawling!"

Emma and Regina stared at each other for ten seconds, eyes meeting across the table, before both of them scrambled towards the living room; Emma in such an excited hurry that her chair toppled over and landed on the kitchen floor. She paused in the doorway to the living room, heart pounding madly in her chest, Regina right next to her, and just about caught Alba crawling – quite clumsily – across the floor to where Henry was sitting, waving a toy that had previously been in her diaper bag.

He chanted, "C'mon, c'mon, Alba, c'mon to your big bro!" He waved the toy, making it rattle.

Alba squealed, loudly, happily, as she fell to her tummy briefly in all the excitement, before pushing herself on to her arms again and continuing her journey across the wooden floors on her palms and knees. She had the hugest grin on her face at that, gums and few teeth on display. "Baah, baah," she said, and Emma let out a quiet whimper of joy as she finally reached Henry, who scooped her into his arms.

"She's crawling," Regina whispered next to her, and Emma turned her head slightly, surprised by the sheer amount of emotion in her voice. She had a hand clutched to her chest and eyes trained firmly on the two children on the floor. "Goodness, she's really crawling, Em-ma," she breathed out her name, eyes meeting Emma's, "they're growing up so quick."

Emma turned her head away from the brunette – truly touched by the emotional display – and watched her children again. It wasn't a bad feeling at all actually, sharing this momentous milestone with Regina – another adult – by her side. It felt almost natural, like she was supposed to be right there next to Emma, leaning slightly on her shoulder.

"High five, Alba," Henry cooed, letting her tiny fist meet his outstretched palm with great care, "high five for the awesomest crawler in the world!"

Alba laughed loudly – her squeaky baby squeals like music to Emma's ears – and for a second everything felt like it was going to be okay.

—-

"So Mom, did you know that in the town where Regina used to live, there's a diner called Granny's?" Henry questioned her all of a sudden, looking up from his iPad to glance at her, where she was sprawled across the couch, Alba sleeping on top of her stomach, "There's a waitress named Ruby who's super cool, and the town needs a _sheriff_." He wriggled his eyebrows, glancing back to his screen, "There's a playground near the harbour, do you remember how we used to go to one of those when I was little? It had a _castle_. Andthe school teaches a lot of cool stuff, like how to make birdhouses."

Emma glanced at him. "How to make birdhouses? What kind of school is that?"

Henry's eyes were wide, "A cool one!"

"I'm really going to have to question Regina about what kind of funding she used to give as mayor, because that sounds whack," Emma replied, trying not to chuckle at her own merit, worried that it might wake Alba from her nap.

He rolled his eyes at her and continued, undeterred, "I'm pretty sure it would be awesome to live in a town called Storybrooke, aren't you? Maybe it'd be cool to live in a small town with a house and a backyard. I could ride my bike to school," he wistfully said, staring down at the screen to avoid her eyes.

Emma watched him carefully, thoroughly confused about where this suddenly interest in Storybrooke, Maine was coming from. He'd been relentless the past few days, going on about the town and somehow finding pictures online that she hadn't been able to find during her own research, and she had to admit – _the town did look cozy._ But that sure as fuck didn't mean she was thinking about going to live there. "Kid, what's with this sudden fascination, huh? I'm pretty sure Regina's not going to leave us to go back there."

Henry huffed. "Well, would it be so bad if we went with?" He paused for a second, brow furrowed, "Oh, and Regina's friends seem so cool! Did she tell you about them? Mary Margaret and David, and uh, Belle and Mulan-"

"Mulan, seriously?" Emma interjected, eyebrows raised.

Henry nodded, "Yeah! Belle and Mulan," he said as a matter of fact.

Emma chuckled, "That sounds like something out of a fairytale, Kid."

Eyes lightning up, Henry placed his iPad on the chair and scooted closer, knees across the floor. "Yeah," he agreed, grinning widely, "that's because _it is_."

"What is?" Emma asked him, hand coming to rest on Alba's back as she carefully rearranged herself on the couch.

Henry rolled his eyes at her again, and she was beginning to grow pretty tired of his sass. It reminded her of Regina somehow – perhaps he'd spent too much time with her lately? "Storybrooke is a town of _fairytale characters_ ," Henry told her, and when she just gaped at him, he continued on, "See, there's Little Red Riding Hood who's actually a wolf, and uh, there's the seven dwarfs, except they used to be eight-"

"What was the eight one called?"

"Stealthy," Henry replied easily, and Emma frowned at how quickly he'd come up with that insane response, "And there's all the princesses of course. Rumpelstiltskin died, but Belle is still there, and she's super cool and smart, and she runs the library." he finished, staring at her with a confident smile.

Emma cleared her throat. "Kid, are you sure you're not just brainstorming about your next altered fairytale? It sounds like that one with the eight dwarf might be a good one for you to write." She ran a hand through Alba's dark hair and let her eyes settle on her daughter.

Henry sighted in exasperation and leaned closer to her. "Ma, you're _not getting it_ ," he argued, tiredly, "it's not a story, it's real! You're a part of it too, don't you see? You and me and Alba. We're also from there, you just don't remember."

"I'm from there?" Emma stared at him in disbelief. In the beginning, when he'd been younger, she'd been very amused by his rampant imagination, but it felt like this was taking it a step too far. He wasn't a young kid anymore, and this was not just imagination – this was something else entirely. "Where's there?"

"Storybrooke and the Enchanted Forest," Henry informed her with a curt nod, talking to her as if this was common knowledge and she was silly for even asking. "Your parents are from there too, and they had to send you here for your own protection."

Emma breathed out carefully as she watched her son; he seemed so sure of all of this, and he believed it completely, so she couldn't be mad at him for it. It's just – she'd never really been comfortable talking to him about her parents, because it was someone she'd rather not think too much about, not now when she had her own kids, her own family. "OK Kid, I'll humour you," she sternly said, "who are my parents then? Snow White and Prince Charming?"

Henry's eyes turned wide at that. "Yeah!"

With a groan, Emma sat up on the couch, carefully tucking Alba into her arms as not to wake her. "Henry, this is insane! Try to listen to yourself – you need to get better at differentiating between fiction and reality."

He pulled back from her, frown edged across his face. "Urgh, this is just like the last time. You don't _remember,"_ he whined. "Please just – where did you put the potion from Regina?"

Emma frowned at the change of subject, but motioned with her head towards the bedroom. "It's in the drawer of my nightstand," she said, eyeing him carefully. "I promised not to break it, so it's there. You can't break it either."

"Like I'm ever gonna do that," Henry grumbled, and before she could question him further, he'd stomped his way into his bedroom, smacking the door loudly behind himself.

Glancing down at Alba, Emma was relieved to see that she was still sleeping soundly.

* * *

A/N: So I was wondering if it bothers you guys that I update without a schedule? Like, would you rather I had set days that this story was updated instead of as I do now, where I just sort of post whenever I have a chapter done? Let me know! And thanks for reading and your awesome comments.


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Operation Butterfly

A/N: I'm not gonna lie, Emma gave me heaps of trouble in this chapter. She's so stubborn, she does what she wants to with no regards to my storyline.

* * *

 **CHAPTER FIFTEEN – OPERATION BUTTERFLY**

Lily was busy trimming the shelves and colour coordinating the pacifiers – because what else was there to do on a Wednesday at noon? – when a cheerful voice uttering, "Hi Aunt Lily!" almost made her jump right out of her own skin. She banged her head into the shelf above her, before turning around, rubbing the place with her hand. She winced, finding Henry standing there, beaming up at her like it was an everyday occurrence that he was at the baby store to surprise her. "Henry," she grunted, eyes going wide as she, in fact, realised what time it was, "what are you doing here? Are you cutting _school_?"

"Troy's covering for me," Henry chatted, grabbing her hand and tugging slightly at it, "I need to find a present for Alba."

"No you don't," she scoffed, arms coming across her chest, "you've got like, no money."

Henry rolled his eyes at her, " _Fine_ , I just needed to talk to you. But I would like to get a present for Alba."

Lily tugged at his hand, moving towards the back of the store. "Your Ma's gonna kill you," she hissed at him, before turning to her co-worker who was manning the desk, "I'm taking my lunch break now," she told him, before dragging Henry with her through the door that said _employees only_ and pushing him onto a chair in the break room.

"She's not gonna kill me, if you don't tell," Henry smartly informed her, glancing around the staff's room in curiosity.

"The woman is a human lie detector, she'll find out," Lily groaned as she grabbed one of her microwave dinners from the freezer. She angrily stabbed holes in the plastic with her fork, before stuffing the food in the microwave and punching in some numbers. "What do you want," she sighed as she sat down across from him, the buzz of the microwave a steady hum behind her. She rubbed her head again, the offended spot throbbing slightly.

Henry cheekily grinned, folding his hands on the table as he regarded her. "I'm just trying to figure out where you fit in," he simply said. His green eyes studied her carefully, trailing over her features in a way that Lily was not entirely comfortable with.

Lily leaned back in her seat, "Where I fit in _where_?"

He nodded his head, looking so much like a little kid – much more than the teenager he was growing into – that she couldn't help but crack a smile. "Yeah! In my Ma's story, you know? I don't think you're _random_." He ran a tongue over his lips, brow furrowed, "You're here for a reason, just like everyone else in Ma's life. I just haven't figured out _how_ yet."

"You're making, like, no sense, Henry," Lily sighed as she pushed her chair back to go to the fridge. She searched for a second – looking between her co-workers' old food and drinks – before finding a bottle of coke labelled _Lily_ behind some Chinese take-out that looked way too old. She grabbed the bottle and found two clean glasses on the counter. "You want some?" she questioned Henry as she retook her seat by the table.

Henry nodded and watched carefully as she unscrewed the lid. "Have you ever heard of Storybrooke?" he queried as she offered him a glass of coke. He gulped some down, before placing it on the table.

Pausing, Lily held the bottle of coke halfway towards her own glass, as she'd been ready to pour herself some. She stared at him, his curious eyes, as a weird sense of familiarity washed over her. _Had_ she ever heard of Storybrooke? Something so familiar danced around in her mind, yet she couldn't place it at all. "You mean other than in your stories?" she asked nonchalantly as she filled her own glass and placed the bottle on the table.

Green eyes widened slightly. "No, like… somewhere else. From other places," he clarified.

Pausing, Lily held her own glass of coke halfway to her mouth. "I'm not sure what you mean," she told him. The microwave beeped behind her, and she stood up from her chair to retrieve the dinner. Wincing slightly at the hot plastic, she dropped it on the table and ripped off the top.

Henry continued, "Storybrooke is a place of fairytale characters. Ma doesn't believe me yet, so I might need your help. It'd be easier if you could remember."

Lily dug her fork into the food and pierced an overheated carrot. "You're making no sense, Henry." She blew on the carrot before stuffing it into her mouth.

"It's true! Ma's from there too, and I'm betting you are as well." He paused, gulping down some more coke. "The last time she didn't know, both Neal and August were there without her knowing, I'm sure it's the same with you, _I'm sure_." He sighed, rubbing his face and blinking. "You just don't know it, either."

"Henry," Lily sighed, pushing her food away because it tasted horrible anyway. "Please tell me what you're talking about, so this can be more than a one-way conversation."

With a groan, Henry said. "She climbed a giant beanstalk, did you know that? And she stopped a magical trigger and performed _magic._ Hell, she slayed a _dragon_!"

Staring at him, Lily couldn't quite explain the odd pang of pain that surged through her chest at that information, and she flinched visibly, jaw tightening and eyes narrowing. There was something about that. A dragon – that knowledge – it did something strange inside of her chest. And there was _Storybrooke._ Where had she hard that before? It was distant, almost like a dream, but then again, more like a memory.

"What," Henry said, green eyes popping wide open as he smiled gleefully at her, "what? Do you remember something?"

Lily grunted, shaking her head. "Henry, _no._ I don't remember anything, because there's nothing to remember. Just like your Ma, I was put into the system when I was a kid. I got adopted by a family – on paper they were good, but for some reason bad luck seemed to follow me." She swallowed loudly, eyes narrowing as she talked to him about things she'd rather not ever think about. "The only time it became a little bearable was when I met your mom. Once I'd experienced what it was like to not feel _awful_ all the time…" She stopped talking, trailing off. It was hard to explain to anyone else; God knows she'd tried to explain it to Emma on several occasions, the way being near her made Lily feel. It didn't make _sense_ to anyone, except inside of Lily. It was like luck was smiling just a little bit down on her.

She didn't even talk to the people she'd called her parents the first years of her life. Not anymore. Not after running away again, leaving them behind. They'd done so much for her, and they were good people, but Lily was a mess – she brought bad luck everywhere she went, and they didn't deserve that. But Emma though – being near her somehow made it easier – like Lily could somehow be better or something. It didn't make any fucking sense, but every time Emma was in her life, she stopped screwing up as much.

Henry offered her a small, supportive smile. "Don't you see, Aunt Lily? You must've been sent here as well! Maybe you were sent to watch out for Ma, too! Or maybe something else happened to you…" He trailed off, brow furrowed as he studied her, "Did you say bad luck followed you?"

Her fingers clenching around the fork, Lily was about done talking about this. It was too painful, and Henry really shouldn't be there, and Emma was going to be _so mad_ , and she had to get back to her shift. "Henry," she said, swallowing loudly and clenching her jaw, "you need to get back to school, OK? I'm going to tell Emma on you. I might be cool Aunt Lily, but cool Aunt Lily cares about your education."

"But-" Henry begun to say, but Lily cut him off.

"Do as I _say_ ," she sternly said, blinking rapidly to hide the tears that had – for some reason – gathered in her eyes even though she had no idea why. "Henry. Do it."

With a sigh, Henry pushed his chair back and moved to the door. "I'll see you on Friday," he murmured, before the door shut firmly behind him.

Lily stared at it, a sense of relief washing over at her, and before she knew it – tears were trailing down her cheeks as the horrible microwave dinner stank up the staff's break room.

—

When Emma returned home from a meeting with her boss that afternoon, Alba resting on her hip as she slept, she found Henry sitting at the table in the kitchen, the vial resting in front of him, as he stared determinedly at her, jaw jutted out.

With a sigh, she dropped her bag on the floor and toed off her sneakers. "Not this right now, Henry," she tiredly informed him, brushing past him into the nursery to place Alba in the crib. She'd had a long week – and not only because she was doing small jobs for her boss; jobs that could be done at home with a baby or in a few hours tops – but also because Henry had been relentless, talking nonstop about fairytales and Storybrooke and magic, and it was honestly wearing her down.

Was this the first taste of what it was going to be like to have a teenager in the house? She couldn't say she cared much for it.

When she returned from the nursery and shut the door soundlessly behind her, Henry was still sitting at the table – back towards her – and it appeared that he had not moved at all. She counted to ten inwardly, calming herself, before stepping around the table and sitting down across from her son. "Henry, I really don't have time for this right now. I have to get ready for my date with Regina."

"Just listen to me, Ma," Henry said, green eyes shimmering oddly as he stared at her, "just… listen to me. Please."

Emma sighed once more, eyes briefly moving to the vial in front of him, before nodding her head. "Okay. I'll listen. What do you have to say."

He seemed almost surprised to hear that she was actually going to let him speak right now, but he scrambled to explain himself. "Uhm, so yeah! You know how everyone in Storybrooke is a fairytale character?"

Emma nodded, letting him go on.

"Yes. And uh, so is Regina actually," Henry said, and Emma stared at him, unamused. He was dragging Regina into this now? She was beginning to be really scared for his mental health, because this – this was not normal behaviour for a teenage boy. "She's actually the Evil Queen, and she took away everybody's happy endings with the Dark Curse."

Blinking, Emma said, "What? _Kid_ , I thought you liked Regina? Is this your way of telling me that you don't like her?" She swallowed loudly. _Please don't say you don't like her._

Henry rolled his eyes. "What? No! I _love_ Regina." He paused, eyebrows knitting together on his forehead, "She's good now, but she wasn't always, because people treated her badly for a very long time. But you Ma – you're the Saviour, and you were the one who had to bring back everyone's happy endings, you see?"

"In Storybrooke?" Emma questioned. She had to admit, he was spinning quite a tale there. Perhaps becoming an author wasn't such a fever dream for him after all.

"Yeah!" He nodded eagerly, smile lighting up his boyish face. "So on your 28th birthday, I came and found you, and the Curse starting falling apart. You defeated her."

Emma raised an eyebrow. She had so many questions for him right now, and she suspected his idea was going to fall apart as soon as she asked them all. "What do you mean you _came to find me?_ Where had I gone? And if Regina is so evil, how come you suddenly like her?"

"You don't remember this, but you actually gave me up for adoption when I was born and Regina adopted me," Henry informed her, a strained and sad smile across his face. "I'm okay about it now, because I know you did it to give me my best chance."

Emma swallowed loudly, the phrase resonating inside of her in a way that she hadn't expected it to. Something about that caught onto something inside of her that she couldn't explain. But it was _ludicrous,_ and it upset her. She'd cared for Henry his entire life, and now he was telling her that she didn't? That he had some other parents out there – that hurt more than she could ever begin to tell him. "Henry, that's – that's insane, Kid. I'm your mom. To hear you say these things, it kind of hurts me, OK?"

"But Ma-" Henry begun.

"No," Emma cut him off, shaking her head, "no, Kid. I've been nothing but supportive of you and your stories, but this is taking it a step too far. You're _hurting_ me by saying these things, can't you understand that?" Her voice cracked slightly, green eyes wavering as they met his. "You need to keep these stories in your imagination."

Henry clenched his fist on top of the table, brown hair falling into his eyes. "It's not my imagination," he argued, voice raising slightly to a whine.

Emma's squeezed her eyes shut, breathing in calmly for a few seconds, telling herself that he was still just a kid, even if his growing body might tell her otherwise and make her view him as older than he really was. "Henry, it _is,_ " she whispered, voice cracking and eyes begging, "you need to stop these things. Don't you think I know how you sneak off to see Regina? And I _know_ you skipped school, don't even try to deny it."

Henry bent his head, eyes trained on the table.

"If this continues," Emma added, hands coming across the table to grab the vial, "I'm going to have to ground you and say no to you and take your video games away from you."

His eyes shot up, turning wide. "But Ma!"

Emma clenched the vial in her hand. "You are forcing me to be the strict mom when you act like this, and you know I don't like to be the strict mom," she honestly murmured, eyes scanning gently over his little face. The face she'd loved since she held him in her arms for the first time, when she'd just given birth to him, goddamnit.

Henry jutted out his chin at that, meeting her challenge head-on. "Then fine," he huffed, crossing his arms in front of his chest, "do that. Ground me all you want, it's not gonna change the fact that I'm right."

Dropping the vial to the table again, Emma sighed and ran her hands through her hair. She was literally at the end of her ropes right now. Perhaps she should just drink the damm thing to get him to shut up about it? If she drank it, they could move on. But _no._ It was the damn principle of the thing! It was her and Regina's middle way, a reason for them to trust each other, and proof that they did. She couldn't drink it, because just having it in her home was strange enough. "Henry," she sighed, reaching across the table to grab his hand, struggling for a second to untangle his crossed arms. "I love you, but can't you hear how this sounds to me?"

He turned his head to the side, staring out the window and avoiding her eyes. "You're just not ready yet," he murmured.

"Fairytales aren't real, Henry," she replied with conviction, brushing her thumb across his knuckles to calm him.

"This is just like the first time," he continued to murmur, finally turning to meet her eyes, "You didn't believe and you called me crazy. You're such a nonbeliever!" He spat the last word and pushed the chair back, storming off towards his room and smacking the door loudly behind him.

Emma flinched, reaching down to take the vial into her hands. She stared at it – that see-through, seemingly harmless liquid was the cause of _all of this._ Should she just drink it? Henry was relentless about it. Regina might have given up on it, but she obviously cared if Emma drank it or not. What was it that was so important? But damnit – she didn't _want_ to drink it. She didn't want to drink something that she didn't know what was. And Henry might say that she should – that she'd remember this entire other life – but why would she even want to do that? The life she had now was finally starting to be _great._ Two wonderful kids, a nice job, an apartment. A good friend in Lily, and damn – a wonderful woman whom she dated. Why would she want to drink anything that might change that, might make her realise that it wasn't the truth at all, and that she – apparently – didn't have her son with her, and that she was destined to be this great saviour or something.

That didn't sound like her. She was no Saviour, she wasn't a character from a fairytale. This entire thing didn't sound that nice at all, actually, because it meant that she didn't have her _son_ with her. Was it so wrong to be steadfast about the fact that she wanted to have him? Except… Now this entire thing was driving a huge wedge between them; Henry was slamming doors, cutting school and talking back to her in a way she had never experienced before. And it all had to do with this vial.

Staring at the closed door to his room, Emma made a quick decision. She still had time left before she had to go, and she needed to clear the air with her son. Otherwise she simply wouldn't be able to enjoy her date with Regina. She crossed the living room, and clutching the vial with one hand, she knocked on the door with the other. There was silent for a few seconds before a grumpy _come in_ could be heard through the wood. She pushed the door open and leaned herself against the doorframe. Henry was sitting on his bed, his altered fairytales spread out before him, and he didn't raise his head to look at her.

"What are you doing?" Emma prodded, biting her lip nervously.

"Research," Henry just grunted in reply, making a small note in the notebook that was open on his lap.

A silence stretched between them as Emma watched her son. He looked genuinely upset, for some reason or other, and it bothered her that apparently this meant so much to him. She didn't _understand_ it – but did she really have to? This was Henry's world, it always had been. But he wasn't a kid anymore, and grown-ups didn't believe in fairytales, at least not to the extent Henry did. It couldn't be healthy. She glanced down at the vial again, her eyes trailing the written _Emma_ and not for the first time did she wonder about the other vial. Regina had said that Henry had it, and she was curious to know what he had done with it. She was also, maybe, perhaps a little bit scared.

Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she had a sneaky suspicion that Henry might have drunk the liquid inside the vial, and he was clearly not poisoned. Did that mean she could drink hers, too? Except, she didn't _want_ to drink it, not if it was going to change her world. But she also didn't believe in the things that Henry talked about, so what was the harm, when her world wouldn't be changed? There was nothing to change.

"Henry," she croaked out, eyes still trained on the vial in her hand, "can I ask you a question?"

In the periphery of her vision she could see that he raised his head to look at her. "Yeah?"

Emma frowned. "Did you drink the other vial?" Her heart beat quickly inside of her chest, as she needed to have her suspicions confirmed aloud. She wasn't sure what she was going to say to him – or to Regina for that matter – if he'd taken it, because she'd made her thoughts on it very clear the other week. But obviously nothing bad had happened, so she couldn't really get mad either way.

Closing his notebook, Henry stared at her, face determined. "Yeah, I did," he stubbornly said, clearly challenging her to get mad at him.

She wasn't going to bite though. She crossed the room, gently swiping a few of his stories to the side, before taking a seat on his bed, vial still in her hand. "Why?" she pried. She was stunned by how surprisingly not-mad she was at him.

Henry wetted his lips, green eyes shiny. "Because I trusted Regina," he said, as if that was the easiest thing in the world, "and I wanted to believe, to keep an open mind. To have faith."

Emma studied him for a few seconds; eyes trailing over the delicate features of her son, whose jaw was hardening, whose eyes seemed to hold so much more wisdom and knowledge of life than just one week ago. She didn't understand how it could be so _easy_ for him. How he could just have faith and believe. But then again, she'd done everything in her might to make sure that he grew up in a loving home, so he didn't end up untrusting and suspicious of everything around him. Not like her. "The liquid didn't do anything then?" she quizzically asked, glancing down at the vial in her hand, tempted to pop the lid open and just down it.

Frowning, Henry said, "Well – it made me remember."

 _Remember?_ Oh, there he went again. Emma sighed and dropped the vial into her lap. "Remember? Henry," she closed her eyes briefly, breathing out and trying not to snap at him, "there's nothing to remember, OK? It's good that you can have faith and trust in people, but…"

"Like I said," Henry murmured, a small smile playing across his lips, "you're clearly not ready yet. It's not going to work anyway. Not if you you're not open to it."

Emma stared at him in confusion.

Henry took his notebook, opening it and reaching for his pencil. "Go get ready for your date, Ma. Have a good night with M- mh, _Regina_ , OK? She's great, and I want you guys to be together. So does Alba, I just know it."

Emma chuckled, "You're really something, Kid," she murmured, before she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. She felt lighter now that they'd cleared the air between them, and she moved into her bedroom to pick out an outfit. Placing the vial back in her nightstand, she stripped out of her clothes and hurried into the bathroom to get ready.

—-

At precisely six o'clock, Emma knocked on the door to Regina's apartment. She'd had a bit of a crisis regarding her outfit, only to be helped when Lily arrived thirty minutes ago and picked out a pair of skinny black jeans and an almost see-through bottle green dress shirt. She'd ordered Emma to change her bra – she'd just been wearing something comfy, up for a movie night – into something a little sexier. It appeared that Lily was rooting for Emma to get laid tonight, and Emma found herself nervous with anticipation.

She had to admit – Regina invited her to her _home_ for this date – it did appear that she'd like to have things go further. And Emma hadn't had sex in… well, if she couldn't remember the number, then it was really too long ago. And Lily had firmly told her that she didn't need to worry about coming back upstairs – and then she'd wriggled her eyebrows suggestively and cackled.

Regina opened the door, and Emma's eyes did a double-take when they landed on her. She was dressed casual as well - but still impeccably, just as she always was – in a black dress that hugged her body, but instead of pantyhose and five inch heels, she had bare legs and feet, painted toenails peeking up at Emma. "Hello," Regina smiled, and Emma didn't miss the way her eyes swept appreciatively down her own body.

"Uhm," Emma mumbled, awkwardly holding out the bottle of wine that she had brought earlier, "I brought wine."

Accepting it, Regina stepped aside and invited her inside. "Are you able to drink tonight?"

Emma nodded, awkwardly stuffing her hands into her pockets. "Yeah, I uh, I'm planning to just… feed Alba solids tomorrow." She bit her lip, taking note of the casual atmosphere inside the apartment. The radio was playing softly, the lights dimmed, and there was a wonderful smell streaming out from the kitchen. "It's white. I'm not that good with wine, but the person said that it was, uh… a very good wine."

Eyes glinting, Regina closed the door behind her and smiled. "I think it'll go wonderfully with the dinner I made." She motioned for Emma to follow her into the kitchen, and Emma did, obedient like a little puppy on her tail. "Take a seat, dinner's ready."

Sitting down, Emma watched as Regina made two plates for them. She furrowed her brow, not sure if her mind was playing tricks on her, because that looked an awful lot like… "Mac and cheese?" She couldn't help the giant grin that took over her features at that, "We're having mac and cheese?"

Regina placed a plate in front of her and moved to open the wine. "Yes, Emma, I made you mac and cheese," she said, and her eyes were shining with mirth. "It's not just from the box though. It's made from scratch with five different cheeses."

Emma's mouth was practically salivating at the mere thought – and of course the smell drifting around the kitchen didn't help either - and when Regina sat down in front of her, pouring them both a glass of wine, she was ready to dig in. If there was one thing she loved, it was cheese – and she wondered how Regina knew that, because she could not have chosen a better meal to woo Emma with. She wasn't won over by fancy meals and classy wines. The way into her heart was through her belly, and damn if she didn't love cheese. She stared expectantly at Regina as the other woman folded out her napkin and laid it gingerly in her lap.

"It's okay," Regina chuckled, "you can dig in."

Scooping up a big mouthful, Emma barely managed to blow on it, before she stuffed it into her mouth. It was hot, it really was, but the thing she noticed the most was the wonderful taste of cheese and macaroni and the way it coated her tongue and warmed her heart. She moaned loudly, barely having time to chew before she swallowed and moved to scoop up another bite. "This is fucking amazing, Regina," she said, fork dangling halfway to her mouth, "I love cheese."

Forking her own mouthful, Regina smiled. "I just knew you would," she said, before she chewed carefully, swallowing and reaching for her glass of wine. "Let's toast," she said, holding up her glass as Emma did the same, "for a wonderful night and hopefully many more to come."

"I'm pretty sure," Emma grinned as she clinked her glass to Regina's and took a sip.

They ate in silence for a little while, Emma too focused on getting food in her belly, half aware that Regina was watching her in amusement from across the table. Even as the brunette was done eating, Emma went for seconds – not even apologetic about it, because she felt like Regina was the kind of woman who'd appreciate a healthy appetite for the food she'd cooked – and Regina sipped her wine and asked questions about Alba and Henry and the small jobs Emma had been doing for her boss.

Emma swallowed, finally full after three servings, and she leaned back in her chair, fighting the urge to undo her pants. "Man, I'm telling you, she's crawling all over, it's like a menace," she chuckled, downing the last of her wine with a happy sigh, as she answered Regina's inquiry about Alba's progress.

Regina was smiling, radiant as always. "She's developing at a healthy speed, it's wonderful. How's that first word coming along?"

"She keeps saying _mah – mah_ ," Emma explained. She could feel her cheeks warming, form alcohol or happiness, she wasn't sure, but it felt damn wonderful. "She just needs to learn to shorten it up and it'll be 'ma'. She's got the gist of it."

Laughing, Regina stood up to clear the plates, carefully placing them in the sink. "Do you want to move this to the couch?" she questioned, and Emma wasn't sure if she was imagining the throaty lilt to her voice or the way Regina's eyes seemed to darken at the prospect.

Emma pushed her chair back, "Yes, let's do that," she murmured, not sure why she was feeling so nervous all of a sudden, like her heart was trying to beat its way out of her chest. It was just a couch goddamnit, nothing special about it, but perhaps it was the person she was going to the couch _with_ that was causing the butterflies in her stomach. "What about the plates?"

"I'll leave them for tomorrow," Regina dismissed, and that seemed odd enough, because Emma hadn't pegged her for a woman who left dirty plates in the sink. Maybe she was nervous too?

They made their way to the couch, emptying the wine bottle into their glasses, and Emma took a seat, propping her legs up, as Regina did the same, curling hers beneath herself as she sat sideways to look at Emma. The clock was only nearing eight, and they had plenty of time to… do whatever it was that they wanted to do. Emma gulped at the thought. She knew what she wanted to do, and it was becoming abundantly clear by the way heat kept rolling over her in waves as she looked at Regina.

That woman was just _so fucking sexy._ That black dress accentuated her body perfectly, and her cleavage was enticing Emma, who just wanted to run her tongue over her clavicle. Her bare legs dared her too, and she could imagine having them wrapped around her head easily enough. It was quite distracting actually.

"Regina," she cleared her throat, aware that she had to distract herself now or she'd turn into a pile of goo. "Can you tell me about more about your hometown?"

Regina appeared to be hesitant for a second – her breath hitching slightly – but she moved closer with a smile on those beautiful lips. Reaching for her cell phone on the coffee table, she settled in next to Emma, their shoulders touching teasingly, skin on skin. "I'll show you some pictures," she lowly murmured. She balanced her wine glass in one hand and navigated her phone deftly with the other.

Emma watched as she settled on a photo album in her phone labelled _Storybrooke_. The first picture was a shot down a street littered with shops and parked cars. A lone redheaded man was walking his dog – a Dalmatian – but otherwise, no people were on the photo. "This is Main Street," Regina explain, and Emma could hardly tear her eyes away from the smile that overtook her features at that. She scrolled to the next picture. "And this is Granny's, the best and only diner in town. The waitress you see there is Ruby, she's – a friend, I guess."

"You guess?" Emma questioned, eyeing the tall and lanky brunette waitress on the picture. She was dressed in something that could barely be called a uniform. Short skirt and midriff showing, and her make up was daring and wild. She seemed quite familiar somehow; her big smile, teeth showing, as she held out a cup of coffee.

Thumb hovering over the phone, Regina hummed in reply. "Her care for me has surprised me," she whispered, scrolling to the next picture. "This my family home on Mifflin Street," she explained next, and Emma saw a picture of something that could only be described as a mansion, with impeccable front lawns and an intimidating front. That seemed quite familiar as well, and Emma couldn't really peg the feeling in her stomach as she watched Regina scroll through every picture as she explained.

She listened as the other woman talked, completely enamoured with her throaty voice and the small smile on her face. She showed Emma pictures of the school her son had attended, of her office, of her two friends – Mary Margaret and David, whom Emma paused at because _they_ were nothing if not recognisable somehow – and of everything around the town really. Except her son and his other mother. Which was odd, and it made Emma wonder what had happened there since the sting was so painful Regina couldn't even talk about it. She didn't ask though, afraid to pry too much and ruin this tentative compromise they had somehow found between them – not only regarding the vials but also regarding Regina's relationship with her son's mother.

Even though she was not a person to ever just brush things underneath a carpet instead of dealing with them, she had decided to do exactly that tonight. She wanted to enjoy her date with Regina and not contemplate Henry's worrying behaviour and his sudden attitude. She didn't even want to talk too much about Alba – she just wanted _this._ Her and Regina. And then tomorrow she could think about all those other things and what to do about the vial and Henry's sour mood.

They put in a movie – an old one from the 80's that Emma had never seen before because she had been just a kid when it came out – and they settled in the couch, not entirely snuggled together, but not at all far apart either. Emma was all too aware of Regina's bare arm brushing against hers, skin tingling even through the fabric of her shirt, and when she glanced sideways, the curves of Regina's breasts were tantalisingly visible to her. As the older woman shifted, more of her thigh was revealed, and Emma was going a little insane. Her mouth had gone all dry, and she just wanted to kiss Regina again.

Tilting her head back to look up at her, Regina's eyes were shining with mirth. "Honestly Emma, when are you going to kiss me again?" she seriously questioned, shaped eyebrow raised and lips painted dark.

Feeling her face flush slightly, Emma awkwardly cleared her throat. "Uuuh, now?" she lamely replied, but she resolutely reached for Regina's wine glass and placed both of the glasses carefully on the table.

Regina shifted sideways on the couch, nervous smile playing on her lips, but Emma wanted this – she wanted it so much – and she hummed lowly as she reached for Regina's hand and pulled the other woman closer with a firm tug. She decided to just go for it, throwing caution to the wind and kissing Regina because that was what they both wanted. She placed her free hand on Regina's cheek, thumb rubbing calmingly over her lips. Regina's eyes were dark, lips slightly parted, and she nudged Emma's nose with hers when their lips finally met.

It was like an instant relief in Emma's body; the second their lips met, this kind of wave surged through her, thrummed beneath her skin and made her feel _safe._ She kissed Regina, and her entire body reacted to that by releasing all worries and thoughts into the open, responding to the kiss from the other woman, and making Emma feel more at home than she had ever felt before.

Emma could feel Regina's tongue pry at her lips, and she opened her mouth, greedily seeking more of the other woman. She tugged her closer, falling backwards into the armrest with Regina on top of her. It tingled everywhere their bodies touched, and Emma did not want to let her go. She trailed her hands from Regina's face to her neck, to her back, running down to cup her butt. Regina moaned into her mouth, and before Emma could help herself, she arched into the other woman, desperate for some kind of friction after years of celibacy.

Regina chuckled, lips travelling from Emma's mouth, over her jaw bone and towards her ear. "You've been teasing me with that shirt all night," she growled, nose brushing against Emma's skin as she latched her lips to the side of her neck and her fingers eagerly trailed over Emma's stomach and towards her breasts, gently cupping them and giving them a light squeeze.

Breath heavy, Emma ground her pelvic towards Regina's, hands now running up her thighs, searching for the bare skin beneath her dress. "And you've been teasing me with your entire body since the first time I saw you," she moaned, fingers skimming over lace panties.

Chuckling, Regina nibbled at her clavicle, "Have you always been so wonderful with words," she teased, deft fingers coming out to slowly pop a few buttons of Emma's shirt open. She pressed a kiss to the swell of Emma's breast, and the blonde heard herself moan loudly.

"It's a gift," Emma smartly replied, hands boldly squeezing Regina's butt as the older woman sat on top of her.

"You should know," Regina huskily whimpered, warms fingers trailing over Emma's stomach as she kissed her through the shirt, "I am very much attracted to you, but I have no intentions of sleeping with you tonight."

Emma's breath hitched in her throat, and she stared down at the other women, confused. "You haven't?"

Regina kissed the swell of her breast again, glancing up at her through hooded eyes. "No," she murmured, red lips forming a seductive smile, "I want to wait. It's going to be worth it, I promise."

 _I have no doubt that it will,_ Emma thought as she inwardly groaned. Her body was reacting to Regina's touches in all the right ways – and not just because it had been so long, but because it was _Regina_ – and she damn well wanted this to happen. But she understood where the other woman was coming from; they'd only been on two dates, and the wait would make it so much more fantastic when it finally happened. Even if Emma felt like she was about to burst right now. "Okay," Emma breathed, eyes cloudy as they locked with Regina's, "just know that it's totally not fair when you look like that."

"Likewise," Regina laughed, before she propped herself up and pressed a short kiss to Emma's lips. "Now," she said as she pulled herself out of the blonde's lap, "let's rewind this movie and find another bottle of wine, too. I have dessert as well." She added the last part as she stood up, mirth shining in her eyes.

Emma felt a smile grow on her face as well, even if she was still incredibly full after dinner. "Dessert," she grumbled, not able to hide her joy, "you're seriously the perfect woman. What are we having?"

"Tiramisu," Regina breathed, before she turned on her heel and sauntered into the kitchen, hips swinging tantalisingly from side to side.

Falling back into the couch with a happy sigh, Emma had no idea how she'd suddenly gotten so lucky.

* * *

A/N: After reading your responses to my last question, I have decided to continue on as I have done – updating whenever I have a chapter ready. Otherwise I'd only be able to promise one update per week, and this way you might get two-ish. I hope that works for everybody!

If all goes according to plan, this story should be heading to Storybrooke in a chapter or two – so stay tuned for that! I can't wait for it, and I do love to hear what you guys think about how Emma's going to remember. There's so many awesome ideas and thoughts, and it inspires me so much, so thank you!


	16. Chapter Sixteen: Henry's Plan

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN – HENRY'S PLAN**

Ruby stared absentmindedly at her fingers, eyes trained on the cracked red nail polish on their tips. She was only half-listening to Mary Margaret's latest problems as acting mayor of Storybrooke, and honestly she wouldn't have even had to if she hadn't gotten to her break just as her best friend came to get an afternoon pick-me-up at Granny's.

Ruby had had to turn in her apron and sit down with the other woman as she ate her sandwich.

She couldn't really care less about the mayoral problems that Mary Margaret was having, knowing that Regina would be back eventually to clear it all up. What would it even matter if Albert Spencer was a prick? Ruby knew that he was, but as soon as Regina returned she'd have order. That was _one_ good thing about having the Evil Queen as their mayor. And _Emma_ would return, too. God, Ruby couldn't wait. Sure, she loved Mary Margaret dearly, and they had been friends back in the old land, but even if there was hardly any age difference between them, Mary Margaret was just _so much older_ than Ruby herself. And so different. Honestly, she had hit it more off with Emma since the blonde woman had been in town.

Even when she first got there. Ruby _might've_ had a small crush on her – even if she was with Billy at the time – but thankfully that was over and done with now, quickly evaporated into nothing as soon as she'd realised that the blonde newcomer in town had a fondness for their mayor. It had been pretty easy for her to figure out, even before her wolf-senses returned, because she just had a talent for reading sexual tension between people. And those two had _chemistry_ from day one. It only became even funnier to watch their half-hearted, firework-starting fighting once the curse broke and Ruby realised who they actually were.

So yeah, her crush on Emma hadn't lasted long, but it had sort of made her realise that she liked girls a whole lot more than she'd previously thought.

And there was like _no_ available nice girls in Storybrooke. The only two not entirely straight women that she knew of were currently totally and completely enamoured with each other, and Ruby could hardly blame them. Mulan and Belle made a cute couple, even if they were not a couple yet. _That is going to take some time,_ Ruby mused to herself. Mulan was too mindful of Belle's previous love, and Belle was too shy to be the one in charge. They could do their dance for years.

They were currently having coffee together at a table near the window, small pastries in front of them, and books opened as Belle tried to teach Mulan things about the Land Without Magic. Up until now it hadn't been going too great, as far as Ruby knew, because Mulan was too preoccupied staring at Belle to really listen. Ruby snorted to herself – if only because she was a little bit envious of their obvious lovestory.

Mary Margaret halted her speech, eyes trailing towards the two women by the table, following Ruby's line of sight. "Oh – I'm so glad Mulan has made some more friends in this land," she mused, sipping her coffee and bobbing her head. "It'll make Regina so happy when she comes back."

"Yeah," Ruby raised an eyebrow, "a _friend._ " She picked at the leftover fries on her plate and once more missed Emma, because the blonde would have finished them off for her in an instant.

A confused look marred Mary Margaret's face. "What? You don't think Belle wants to be friends with Mulan? Honestly Ruby, she wouldn't be spending that much time teaching her things if she didn't…"

Ruby bit her lip, leaning slightly over in the booth to lock eyes with her friend. "Snow, I'm going to be completely honest with you right now, only because you're, like, my oldest friend in any realm, 'kay?" She motioned towards the two girls at the table with her head, eyes wide. "You're an idiot."

Mary Margaret bristled. "Excuse me?"

With a cackle, Ruby hurried to continue, "Belle and Mulan are not friends. They _like_ each other." She whispered the last part, leaning back in her seat again and reaching into her pocket to get out a piece of gum. She carefully unwrapped it as she watched realisation dawn on Mary Margaret's face.

"No," she whispered, eyes wide. "They like _like_ each other?"

Ruby popped the piece of gum into her mouth, chewing obnoxiously. She had to make the most of her break, didn't she? "Uhm yeah. Mulan's totally gay. Belle can't be pegged, kind of like Regina. And they've been shooting each other moon-eyes over their research for weeks."

Mary Margaret turned slightly over in her seat, watching Belle and Mulan for a few seconds, brow furrowed. "Are you certain? I mean… Not that I _mind_ but just because Regina and Emma are gay, doesn't mean that anyone else is…" She bit her lip, stopping. "How do you even know these things?" she questioned as she turned back around.

Blowing a bubble, Ruby let it pop, before saying, "Wolf-hearing, wolf-smell. I know all."

With another sip of coffee, Mary Margaret hummed. "Well, don't tell me you knew about Regina and Emma before the rest of us did."

Ruby popped another bubble, fingers toying awkwardly with her nails again.

"You _didn't_ ," Mary Margaret gushed as she reached a hand across the table and slapped Ruby's fingers gently. "Red, please, we're supposed to be friends!" She sighed, a wistful smile on her face. "Why haven't you talked to me about all of these things? Honestly, you've even seemed distant since we returned from the Enchanted Forest. I know I've been caught up with finding Emma and Henry, but…" she paused, eyelids fluttering, "are you OK?"

With a groan, Ruby tucked her hands beneath her thighs, trying to stop herself from picking more at her chipped nail polish. She'd wanted to talk to Mary Margaret for a while now, but she'd never really found the time. If there was _one_ person who should be the first to know about her thoughts on her own sexuality – which she was starting to label as bisexual – then it was her oldest friend. The words just weren't coming that easily to her. "Well maybe I didn't wanna talk about it, 'cuz I had a small crush on Emma," she murmured into the table, not wanting to meet the other woman's eyes.

Mary Margaret was silent for a few seconds, stiff across from her in the booth, and Ruby raised her eyes slowly to stare at her, as the other woman gaped. "You're, you-" she broke off, eyebrows knitting together on her forehead, "you like _girls_?"

"I don't like Emma anymore, haven't for a while," Ruby softly tried, glancing briefly to the clock on the wall; her shift was about to start, "Definitely since before the curse broke. She's _your daughter,_ Snow, no worries. But – I do like girls." She finished with a sigh, breathing out deeply, relieved to finally have gotten that off her chest.

Reaching a hand across the table, Mary Margaret carefully forced Ruby's hand out from beneath her thigh and into her own. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Ruby bit her lip, "I didn't know how."

"Well now I know," Mary Margaret determinedly said, "and once everything is sorted, we're going out to find you a _wonderful_ girl. I bet Emma would love to come!" She squeezed her hand and returned to her coffee, taking a long gulp of it.

It was nice to have finally told Mary Margaret what was truly going on inside of her head, and it was with relief that Ruby slid out of the booth, reaching for her apron to go back to work. "Alright, I better get out back to take stock or Granny's gonna yell at me again," she said to her friend. She bent down to press a kiss to Mary Margaret's cheek. "Say hi to Charming from me."

Mary Margaret nodded. "Yeah, and that reminds me," she pulled her phone out, fingers sliding across the screen, "Henry said to tell you to call him. He misses you – I just sent him your number."

Ruby felt her phone vibrate in the pocket of her apron, and gave her friend a thumbs-up. "Score, thanks!" She went behind the counter, taking her nearly empty plate with her to dispose of in the kitchen. She pressed a kiss to her grandmother's cheek as well, before heading into the pantry to take stock so she could order whatever they needed. She pressed the new contact from Mary Margaret and put the phone on speaker, hoping that Henry had time to talk to her right now. It dialled for a long time, but eventually it was picked up.

"Uh, this is Henry – oh, Henry Swan," Henry said into the phone, voice slightly breathless.

"Since when the fuck are you Henry _Swan_?" Ruby kidded him as she squinted her eyes and tried to count the cans of beans on the top shelf. Thank fuck for wolf-sight.

Henry broke into a laugh when he realised who it was. "Aunt Ruby," he cheered, and she had to admit that it was wonderful to hear his voice, even though it sounded a lot different from what it had a year and a half ago, "I'm so glad you called, I need your help!"

Ruby laughed, taking note of the stock on her small notepad. "You need my help, oh my! What can I do for you, Henry Mills?"

"I've been trying to get my Ma to remember so that I can get her to drink the vial, but it's really hard," Henry told her, sounding entirely dejected. "She like, doesn't want to drink it _at all_ even though she likes my Mom."

"How are you trying to get her to remember?" Ruby hummed, entirely too pleased with the fact that Henry had decided to call her for help regarding this. It kind of felt like she was more a part of the Operation then, which was nice considering she otherwise just helped Granny at the diner.

Henry pondered that for a second or two. "You know," he begun, "I've been trying to trigger her memory by talking about Storybrooke and you guys. Nothing wild, just… all subtle and stuff."

Snorting, Ruby couldn't help herself. "Oh damn, I know you, Kiddo, and you're about as subtle as a bulldozer!" She laughed, remembering vividly – just as if it was earlier today – how he'd gone around Storybrooke a few years ago with his book and told everybody who they were and that his mom was the Evil Queen. Granted, he'd been right, but back then it had not been subtle at all. "Besides," she hurried to add, before he broke the silence, "don't you remember what it was like the first time? You told us all about it, but none of us believed you. We all thought your stories were cool, but we didn't think they were _real_."

A silence erupted between them at that, and Ruby let Henry think while she moved to the freezer to take stock of everything in there. She could already hear Granny yelling at her for being too slow, so she counted out everything and used her wolf-scent to detect if anything smelled like it was nearing the expiration date.

"But…" Henry finally begun again, just as she thought he might've gone and fallen asleep on her, "if I want her to drink the potion, she has to be convinced somehow. Otherwise she won't drink it, I just know it!"

Ruby leaned herself against a shelf and studied her nails once more. "Hey, no worries, Kiddo. Like, the potion isn't the only option here, you know?"

"…it's not?" Henry softly questioned, voice small.

"No man!" Ruby laughed, relishing the cold of the freezer and the extended break she'd convinced herself it was okay to take because she was talking to _Henry_ , surely Granny couldn't be mad about _that_? "Like the first time, you know? The curse didn't break because of some potion or because you convinced us with your stories, but it broke because Emma kissed you. It was True Love, magic, the whole shebang."

Henry's breath hitched slightly as he said, "So what you're saying is, I should get my moms to kiss?" He sounded entirely too pleased with that idea, and Ruby had to bite her lip from laughing aloud at him.

"Well," she told him, crossing her legs at the ankles and staring at a lot of bags of sausages from the butcher, "do you think that'd work?"

There was only quiet for a few seconds this time, before Henry replied, "…no."

Ruby couldn't help her smile. "And why not?"

"Because like you said, there has to be magic. There's no magic in New York. If there is, it's well-buried beneath nonbelievers." He sighed. "So I _should_ try to get her to remember, because otherwise they'll never share True Love's kiss."

Fidgeting slightly with her phone and ducking beneath the door to hide quickly from Granny, Ruby said, "Well not in New York they're not. But there's magic here! In Storybrooke. Plus, if your Ma's here in Storybrooke, she'll start to recognise all these places from her dreams, yeah?"

With a sigh, Henry said, "So I should get my moms to Storybrooke?"

Ruby glanced through the small, round glass window of the freezer, and decided that she had better get a move on, before Granny launched a search-party for her. "Exactly! That should be what your Operation is about, not like… drinking the potion, but getting your Ma to Storybrooke," she finished, pushing out of the freezer and slipping into the kitchen.

"Okay," Henry firmly said, and she could imagine his head bobbing up and down in determination. "Okay, thanks Ruby. I'll talk to you soon."

As he hung up the phone, Ruby moved to the coffee maker to get another pot going. She was just on fire with the advice and revelations today, wasn't she? Honestly, why they not asked her for help more often was beyond her.

—-

Regina cooed at Alba, urging the baby to crawl towards her, as she held out a small rattle, shaking it eagerly. "Come on, baby! You can do it, come on," she chanted, watching as her daughter crawled towards her, smile wide and brown eyes shining. "You can do it!"

Alba laughed, bubbling giggles spilling out of her mouth as she fell to her tummy in front of Regina, diaper sticking into the air.

"Such a good girl, you are!" Regina continued to coo as she leaned forward and grabbed the baby to tuck her into her arms. She pressed a kiss to her naked belly, making loud noises as she did, which caused Alba to laugh even louder. "Are you ready for you nap soon, mh?" Regina murmured, pressing her nose into Alba's hair and breathing in her scent.

Henry poked his head up from his book, staring at them. "When's Ma gonna be back?"

Regina smiled at him, relishing this feeling of normalcy and family in the midst of the Curse. "It could be a while yet. She said it was a pretty easy job, but she's a bit out of practice, I reckon." She rattled the rattle for Alba, still looking at Henry. "But I don't mind, I told her I'd stay as long as she needed."

Sticking his tongue out at her, Henry said, "Of course you don't mind, Mom."

Staring down at Alba, Regina breathed softly out, "Well, can you blame me? I feel like I'm just starting to get to know her."

"I know," Henry said with a long sigh, slipping out of his chair to fall onto the floor next to them. The apartment was scattered with toys, and Regina had tried her hardest to tire Alba out, just wanting to spend some time with her daughter now that Emma wasn't there to be The Mom. Not that Regina blamed her for that, because it only made sense that she was, but Regina was Alba's mother too, and this afternoon was proof of that just as it was her chance to act like it. "We should give her a shower," Henry added, eyes falling onto Alba's sticky face as he reached his fingers out to tickle her belly.

She laughed loudly, smiling up at them both with so much happiness. Regina was pretty sure she'd never seen a more beautiful baby. Well, except Henry of course. They were equally beautiful. But the thing about Alba was – she was a _mix_ between herself and Emma, and it was so clear now, now that Regina knew. Of course she saw herself much more in the girl, because it was all the obvious things; her hair, her eyes, her little face and even her skin tone. But there was something mischievous about her, something so entirely Emma that it pulled at all of Regina's heartstrings.

Regina scooped Alba onto the floor again, watching as the baby – enjoying all of this attention – immediately started crawling towards another toy near the couch. "Can you watch her while I go set up the bath?"

Henry nodded, crawling after Alba on all fours, and Regina slipped towards the bathroom, pausing in the doorway to look at her two kids. _Her two kids._ Henry picked Alba into his arms and sat down on the couch, the baby leaning against the backrest as he held up a teddybear and made a funny face. When had she ever gotten so lucky? She knew that it wasn't ideal, at least not right now, but she had to have faith that it would all work out and she'd truly be able to enjoy her family.

She just hoped that Emma would remember soon. Henry had told her all about the vial and how he felt like Emma was starting to consider it, but knowing the blonde's stubbornness it could still be a while – and Regina would wait all the time in the world if she had to, but she'd really like it if it didn't take another year. She was starting to believe that Emma was never going to drink the potion, simply because she didn't want to.

And God – their date. Their _date._ It had been such a wonderful, familiar date. Emma had been so cute and sexy at the same time, teasing Regina with her see-through shirt and those skintight jeans, and all Regina could do was try to remind herself why she _couldn't_ sleep with Emma. At least not now. There was just something so wrong with doing that, and even if Emma clearly wanted to, Regina didn't want their second time together to be with Emma under a curse. It'd be like making love to her under false pretences, and how wouldn't Emma feel once she finally remembered? Regina couldn't do that her, to them, even if that night had been a true testament to how strong her powers of will were.

She sat up the small bathtub, filling it with water and checking the temperature. She even found some tiny boats tucked away in a basket, and she plopped them in as well, knowing that she'd be able to entertain Alba with them. If not entertained, the girl would be a mess to handle.

When she returned to the living room, she stopped, catching brother and sister in a tender moment as Henry sat with Alba on his lap and spoke to her. "…and I know Ma doesn't know," Henry lowly murmured, voice soft and melodic in Alba's ear, "but Regina is our Mom. You should know this Alba, because it's important. Ma isn't going to tell you, at least not yet, but Regina is our Mom, and she's the best mom ever, okay?"

"Mooh, mooh," Alba gurgled, happily trying to clap her hands together.

Regina stared at her son for a few seconds, silently watching as he continued to talk to his sister, and it tugged so painfully good at her heart, seeing him like this. She'd always known he'd be a wonderful big brother, but she'd honestly never thought that it would ever happen. Not until Emma arrived. At first, she'd perhaps feared that Emma might give him a sibling someday and he'd favour her more for that, but afterwards – she'd dreamt of exactly this scenario. Henry with a sibling that was both hers and Emma's. And of course Henry, at this moment, had to be fiercely loyal to her at that, making sure that Alba knew exactly who she was to them. She just hoped that she could tell her herself someday soon.

Regina cleared her throat, interrupting their quiet time. "Bath is ready!"

"Wee, did you hear that Alba?" Henry eagerly said, staring up at Regina, "Bath time is here!" He stood up from the couch, as smooth as a kid his age could do it while holding a baby, and he entered the bathroom with Regina, placing Alba on the counter. "You good from here? I'm gonna finish my chapter and then we can talk," he told Regina as she smoothly got Alba out of her diaper and cleaned her up.

She offered him a warm, thankful smile, knowing exactly what he was doing; trying to give her more time with Alba while she could. "I'm good. Thank you, Henry," she replied, snuggling Alba closer to her chest.

Henry left the bathroom, and Regina took her time bathing and playing with Alba. The girl was tired, but happy to play with her boats, and Regina only got a little bit wet when she tried to wash her hair with a cup. She cooed and talked to the girl, made small noises as she splashed the boats around, just like she had done with Henry when he was a baby, and when Alba was clean, she got her out of the bath and returned to the nursery. She put her in a new diaper, got her in a clean set of rompers and tucked her in. After five minutes with the horse mobile moving around above her, Alba was sleeping, pacifier in her mouth and a blanket tucked around her.

When she returned to the living room Henry had made tea for them, just like the last time he had wanted to talk to her – although this time, she suspected, it was not going to be about his crush on Troy, but about something else entirely – and she sat down on the couch, tucking her feet beneath herself and warming her hands on the mug.

"So," Regina smiled, "Operation Butterfly?"

Henry frowned, resting sideways on the chair as he stared at her. "It's not going so well. Ma's stubborn." He ran his hands through his hair and continued, "How did your date go?"

Regina couldn't hide her smile, even if she tried to by lifting the mug to her lips. "It went fine," she husked, burning her tongue slightly on the warm tea.

Making a face, Henry said, "You have to give me more than that!" He sat up again, reaching for his own tea, completely unable to sit still for a long time in the same position; she was suspecting that Emma's habits were rubbing off on him. "Did you guys kiss?"

"Henry!" Regina snapped, eyes going wide as she stared at his serious face. He didn't even seem repulsed by the idea, which truly said something about how much he was growing up. "You can't ask med that. I'm your _mom_."

Henry took a sip of his tea. "So is Emma. She'd tell me."

Regina huffed. "Why do you want to know if we kissed?" She suspected she knew why he'd like to know, and if she told him that they had, and nothing had come of it, she'd break his little heart. She could tell that he wanted them to be True Loves, and she wasn't going to lie – she'd wanted that too, hoped for it, even. But she was once the Evil Queen and it appeared that she did not deserve curse-breaking love.

He leaned back in his seat, legs crossed. "Just something Aunt Ruby said."

"You talked to Ruby?" Regina questioned, taking another long gulp of tea. It was something bitter, just like Henry knew she liked it.

Henry hummed, gulping down his own tea. If she knew him well enough, it'd be filled with sugar and milk, thus making the experience very different from hers. "Yeah, the other day. It was a bit weird, talking to her about you guys though."

Regina frowned, pausing. "Why was it weird?"

"You know, with her having liked Emma and stuff," Henry offhandedly said, eyes focused on the mug in his hand.

"Her having _what_ -?" Regina croaked, sitting up straighter in the couch. That was _new_ information to her. So the wolf had liked Emma? How had Regina not noticed this? And _when_? She stared at her son, who seemed oblivious to the amount of questions and doubts he'd just sent spiralling inside of her. "Henry, _when_ was this?"

He waved her off, a cheeky grin on his face. "Back when Emma first came to Storybrooke. Don't worry, she doesn't like her like that anymore. I bet she realised that Ma only wanted _you_."

Regina watched him curiously, eyes narrowed as she willed her beating heart to slow down. It was nice that Henry tried to reassure her, but she couldn't deny that the thought of Emma and Ruby sent somewhat of a surge of jealousy through her chest – she did not share very well. Thankfully, it appeared like nothing had ever happened, and it was clear that Ruby was rooting for them now. "Well, what did the _wolf_ say then?"

Rolling his eyes at her, Henry placed his mug on the table. "You can relax, Ma never even looked twice at her," he was kind enough to offer, reading the look on her face correctly.

Regina had the good grace to bite her lip, only slightly ashamed of her apparent jealousy. "Proceed," she said, dusting invisible lint off her slacks.

Henry laughed, "Mom, come on," he shook his head, clearly finding her very funny at the moment, "even as her cursed self, Ma is completely in love with you. She _let the vials go_ – if that doesn't tell you how much she likes you, I don't know what will."

Tutting, Regina knew that he was right; Emma compromising on something like that was truly a big deal. She leaned back in her seat, feeling slightly smug. _Take that, wolf-girl!_ "So what did you and… _Ruby_ … talk about?"

"We have decided that we need to get Ma to Storybrooke. Nothing's gonna happen here, and if we get her to Storybrooke, she can't deny everything, and she can't leave," Henry clearly informed her. Apparently he'd been thinking a lot about this, and he reached forward to grab his notebook from the coffee table, flicking it open. "I've thought about all of the possibilities – and you're not gonna like it."

Regina frowned, leaning slightly forward to glance into his notebook, where'd he planned everything out meticulously in his neat handwriting. "What are you saying?" she questioned as she read over the words on the page, not quite sure if she understood it all correctly.

"I'm saying," Henry stared seriously up at her, green eyes flickering, "you need to rent a car."

—-

Emma groaned and stared at the screen of her laptop, tiredly blinking her eyes behind her black-rimmed glasses. She'd turned the light of the screen almost all the way down, though it still seemed to annoy her sensitive eyes in the dark living room.

Tracing these money for her boss was proving to be a hell of a lot more difficult than she'd first expected it would, and the clock was nearly two in the morning. She'd been at this all night while Henry had Troy over for some kind of project, and she'd had to bounce between her laptop on the couch and Alba in the nursery, who'd been growing exponentially more fussy as Emma grew frustrated. The only thing keeping her going was the texts she'd been exchanging with Regina throughout the ordeal. The older woman was proving to be just as humorous via text as she was in real life, and her sarcastic jokes made Emma chuckle whenever she glanced away from her work to look at the screen of her phone.

Now Henry was sleeping, Alba as well, and it appeared that Regina had finally fallen asleep too, after having told Emma at least a dozen times that her eyes kept drooping. The apartment was silent, and Emma did not even have coffee to keep her awake; all she could rely on was herself and the yellow light from her screen.

She'd been napping on and off, dozing off against the soft cushion of her couch, only to be awoken by the baby monitor or the laptop slipping off her lap towards the floor. Her naps were short and sporadic, nothing that made her feel more awake now that she had to stay up to finish this. She wished she could just fall into bed, and that Alba could sleep through the night, and they could all awaken well-rested tomorrow. Perhaps she could invite Regina out for brunch once Henry left for school – it'd be like another date, only with Alba in tow and pancakes and bacon.

She wondered what kind of clothes Regina slept in. Was she a person who just slept in a t-shirt or did she have some silky night gown? Or perhaps she slept naked? No, for some reason Emma was pretty sure that this sophisticated woman slept in a comfortable night gown. Not that Emma would know, because Regina had _no intentions_ of sleeping with her yet. Whatever the fuck that meant. It was slightly frustrating, because Emma had been so sure that they'd cross that line last Friday, but apparently Regina had other thoughts.

Emma couldn't blame her though. It wasn't like jumping into sex had ever done her any good, but this just felt different somehow. Like the connection she and Regina had was more than just sex, but something else entirely. The thrumming in her body whenever they touched and kissed told Emma that they were linked somehow, meant to be more than just this.

She'd almost forgotten the vial in her nightstand this last week, simply because getting back into work had been very time-consuming. But now it called to her again, just like Regina seemed to do whenever she didn't see her for a few days, and Emma closed the window with her money search to open another one – she could always get back to work tomorrow, even if she really should get it done now – where she typed 'Storybrooke' into the search engine. Once more nothing came up – just like the first time she'd done that search – and she frowned, unsure of how an entire town could not be found on the internet. She typed in 'Regina Mills' instead, but of all the pictures and links she clicked, none showed _her_ Regina Mills. Not one picture looked like her beautiful fourth floor neighbour, and it was stranger than anything Emma had ever encountered before – in her personal life or in her job.

It made her wonder… what was truly right or wrong in this scenario. Regina hadn't lied to her about coming from Storybrooke or about her name, Emma was certain of that. Yet – there were no traces anywhere she looked, and she looked _a lot_. Pushing her laptop onto the couch, Emma tiptoed into her bedroom and took the vial from her nightstand. She fell back into the couch with a sigh, eyes trained on the lid of cork, the glass and the see-through liquid inside. She wondered – what would happen if she drank it? Clearly Henry – and Regina too, to some degree, Emma guessed – thought that something almost magical would occur, but that was the stuff of fairytales and Emma didn't believe that one bit. At the same time she could tell that no harm had come to Henry from drinking his vial, and once more Emma found herself with the lid in one hand and the vial in the other.

The liquid was odourless, appearing much like water. Emma sniffed it, weighed her options in her mind, before deciding that she was done with this vial making a mess of her personal relationships. She knew she could just forget about it and continue on as she had been, but perhaps it would just be easier to get it over with – to drink the damn thing and tell Henry _I told you so_ and then move on to date and be happy with Regina. That actually didn't sound so bad in her mind.

Tipping the vial backwards, Emma let the potion glide down her throat.

* * *

A/N: WOOP WOOP. Emma drank the potion everybody! Wonder what will happen? What do you guys think?! Let me know!

I'm sure I don't say this enough, but I want to thank all of you guys for coming along on this journey with me, for reading my chapters, and for the reviews. It means so much to me, and it totally inspires me to keep writing, even though this crazy heatwave we're experiencing in Denmark right now is slowly trying to kill me. You guys rock, and I wanted you to know that!


	17. Chapter Seventeen Welcome to Storybrooke

A/N: OK, so no spoilers, alright, but this chapter contains thoughts on how long it would, perhaps, take to maybe possibly drive from New York to Storybrooke in a rental car (maybe), and since I live in a country where you can drive from one end of it to the other in like five hours tops I have absolutely no grasp of what distances are like in the USA – except it all seems very, very big to me, a mere Danish person – so please bear with me if my research has proven completely incorrect, since we also don't know where exactly in Maine Storybrooke is located. With that said – enjoy!

* * *

 **CHAPTER SEVENTEEN – WELCOME TO STORYBROOKE**

Her and Henry were driving along a practically deserted road; trees were cluttered along the way, and it was nearing nightfall. There had been no other car in sight for the last many miles, and Emma clutched the steering wheel, staring down at her son in the passenger seat. He looked to be about nine, maybe ten years old, and he was holding onto a book, leather bound and big in his small hands.

She didn't understand the feelings that were surging through her as they drove. She seemed wary around Henry, confused, and a little scared to have her son sitting in the seat next to her. And he looked so small in his little coat with the book in his lap, and when he looked up at her, and not out of the window, he seemed to watch her with so much happiness on his face.

Emma almost felt like… she didn't know him. And when she asked him questions and he replied in the cheeky way he'd always done, she felt a surge of annoyance rush through her instead of the familiar feeling of adoration.

The rain was falling heavily outside when they drove past a white sign with dark letters. _Welcome to Storybrooke_ it said, and when Emma asked Henry where he lived, his only response was _24_ _th_ _Not-telling-you Street_ , and that caused her to hit the brakes of her car and slam the door as she got out.

A loud wail caused Emma – for just a second – to think that Henry had started crying inside the car, but before she could bend her head and look at him, her yellow Bug evaporated into nothing as she was pulled mercilessly out of her sleep. Blinking, Emma realised that she was back in New York and that the loud cry came from the baby monitor on the coffee table next to her.

Sitting up, and tiredly rubbing her eyes, a blanket that Emma did not remember putting on herself fell to the floor. She blinked. _Did I take off my glasses?_ She fumbled on the coffee table, finding the familiar specs and putting them on. Alba's cry grew louder on the baby monitor, and Emma stared confusedly at the clock on the wall. It was a little past eight in the morning, and on the table next to her sat her laptop, her cell phone and the vial, neatly laid out in a way that Emma did not remember doing. She was pretty sure she fell asleep with the laptop open on her stomach.

Pushing herself out of the couch, she rushed into the nursery to get the crying Alba out of her crib. _Shit_ , wasn't it Tuesday today? _Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit,_ that meant that Henry was late for school! She plucked her daughter out of the crib and cradled her against her chest – breakfast would have to wait for a second – as she barrelled through the apartment and burst into Henry's room without knocking.

"Kid, you gotta get your lazy ass up, you're late for-" she cut herself off, noticing the neatly made bed and the fact that his favourite backpack was gone, "…school," she finished with a sigh, heartbeat calming steadily down in her chest. She smiled down at Alba, relieved that her oldest was turning out to be such a responsible young adult, despite the fact that he'd been talking back to her lately. "You brother got himself ready for school, munchkin," she whispered, pressing a kiss to Alba's still wet cheeks and next to her grumpy smile. "Let's get you some breakfast, huh? Do you think there's more of Regina's delicious arroz con leche in the fridge, hm?"

Alba babbled in reply, clearly still upset and hungry, and Emma turned to the kitchen and opened the fridge. She was happy to see that there were still a few jars of arroz con leche left, and she got one out and grabbed a spoon, before moving to the couch and falling into the seat with a sigh. Alba stopped fussing the second a spoonful of food was in her mouth, and Emma fed her absentmindedly as she thought about the dream she'd just had.

That had been _so weird_. Especially because it was Storybrooke, the town that she'd been so focused on trying to find last night – which was probably why her mind had made up a dream about it. But it was strange, because now that she saw the _Welcome to Storybrooke_ sign before entering the small town, she realised that she'd dreamt of that place before. She hadn't really had dreams as lucid as this one, but she'd had glimpses, small flashes of streets and stores and a tall clock tower. What she didn't understand was Henry's _age_ in this dream – and the feelings she'd had looking down at him. It was almost too realistic to be a dream, now that she thought more about it; it was almost more like a memory.

It was really weird and Emma wasn't sure what to do about it right now. She'd heard Henry ramble on about Storybrooke for two weeks now, and she _knew_ that it was a real place because Regina came from there, but she'd honestly started to even doubt that a little bit. _But it's a magic town, Ma,_ Henry had said, like it was the most logical thing in the entire world, _that's why you can't find it anywhere. No outsiders can get in._

Emma scooped more rice into Alba's mouth and smiled fondly down at her daughter. In all this craziness, at least she still had her, and she was a constant. Emma's eyes fell to the empty vial on the table, placed gingerly next to her cell phone, and she almost regretted not being able to tease Henry about it this morning; she'd drunk the liquid inside and nothing had changed. She wondered what he was going to say about that later.

Alba had finally finished the entire jar of arroz con leche, and Emma wiped her mouth with her t-shirt – she was going to change anyway, who could blame her – before deciding that she had better get Alba changed and dressed in something fresh. Perhaps she could still invite Regina for that brunch? Emma could for sure eat some pancakes right about now.

She got Alba changed and cleaned up before dressing her in a some rompers and a warm sweater, all the while thinking about that dream. It had been so weird to see Henry so young again – he was so big now, all of a sudden – and in some way, that dream had been so vivid that she could tell almost every detail about it. Even the book on his lap. _Once Upon a Time_ it had said. She'd never seen that book before, but he'd probably had many books in his life that she didn't know about. He'd always been an avid reader, something she had no idea where he got from. And apparently fairytales had already been his favourite subject back then.

She was broken out of her thoughts by the sound of her cell phone ringing insistingly on the table. Dropping Alba off in the playpen so she could entertain herself, Emma grabbed the phone and fell onto the couch with a sigh. She glanced briefly at the screen – it was the number from Henry's school – and pressed the phone to her ear. "Emma Swan speaking."

"Hi, Miss Swan, this is Patricia Brown. I'm calling about Henry," a chipper voice said on the other end of the phone, and Emma flinched briefly, afraid that her moody son had somehow gotten in trouble before noon, "He didn't show up for class today, and I was wondering if you simply forgot to call him in sick, or-"

Emma sat up on the couch, jaw clenched. "He didn't show up for class?"

Patricia Brown sighed. "No, he did not. So that's why I'm calling. Is he at home sick?"

Rolling her eyes, Emma pulled herself out of the couch and turned back to Henry's room. "Look lady, do you think I'd sound this surprised if he was?" She pushed the door further open, scanning the room.

"Oh," Patricia Brown said, "well. Okay. I hope you find him, Miss Swan, and don't hesitate to call if you need anything. Henry's a smart kid though, he's probably just testing his limits."

"Testing my patience is more likely," Emma grumpily replied as she stepped further into his room. His school supplies were gone, just like she'd noticed earlier, but that didn't necessarily mean that he had gone to school. Last week he'd gone to see Lily on this inane quest of his, and she was pretty sure she knew exactly where he was right now. And it was five floors below their apartment. "I'll let you know, OK?" she hissed into the phone, "Thanks for calling."

Emma made another round in the small room, and now that she was looking more carefully, she noticed some strange things. His closet wasn't nearly as stuffed as it used to be, which was odd, because Emma had done the laundry yesterday and folded everything up in there; all his notebooks were gone, as well as his stories. Even his handheld game was not on the shelf, and some of the pictures from his bulletin board were gone. She clearly noticed that one with him and Lily was missing, as well as one of her, Henry and Alba that Lily had snapped at the hospital – even one where Emma was pretty sure she was in her last trimester, and Henry had snuggled up next to her on the couch.

What the fuck was going on?

Biting her lip, Emma still felt pretty confident that Henry was just trying to piss her off by skipping school and going on insane trips to the other adults in his life. He wasn't social, he didn't have many people he could go to when skipping school, and since Lily had been the last person to get a visit from him unannounced, she was pretty certain he was just downstairs with Regina.

Emma picked Alba up from the playpen and grabbed her keys and cell phone, before slipping her feet into a pair of slippers and heading for the elevator. Alba grumpily protested next to her, annoyed to be picked away from all of her toys, but Emma bounced her knees as she waited, sternly bidding the old woman from apartment 9A good morning when she came out of the elevator with her morning paper.

Pressing the button with the number four on it, Emma stuck her nose into Alba's hair and tried to calm herself by breathing in the comfortable and familiar scent of her daughter. She was not freaking out, she refused to freak out, at least not yet. Henry was in Regina's apartment, skipping school, and Regina was letting him, because she wanted him to like her. Yes, that was it, that was exactly what was going on right now. But Emma had a really hard time convincing herself of that, because there was a gnawing feeling of worry and doubt in the pit of her stomach, a gnawing feeling that told her that she was _wrong._

She left the elevator and rapped her knuckles against Regina's door, impatient as ever. "Hello, Regina, are you up?" she said through the door, knocking once more as the worrying feeling started moving from not just her stomach but towards other limbs of her body. It felt like her legs were shaking. "Hello? Regina?" Emma tried once more, but when there was no reply and no shuffle of feet on the other side of the door, Emma tentatively tried the handle, pressing it down. To her immense confusion and relief, the door slipped right open.

Stepping into the apartment, Emma could immediately tell that it was empty. It had the same scattered feeling as Henry's room, and Emma found none of Regina's personal belongings anywhere, only the bigger furniture. "Regina?" Emma tentatively tried again, and she made a quick sweep of the apartment, checking the bedroom and the bathroom, but Regina was nowhere to be found. Emma fell to a chair in the kitchen, dumping her cell phone and keys on the table, and snuggled Alba closer as she let the feeling of confusion and worry overpower her.

Worry for Henry, because what had he cooked up now, and confusion about Regina, because she had said nothing about having to move. And yet Emma knew that it wasn't as simple as that, because her gut-instinct told her that it wasn't.

When she looked up, she found a folded up piece of paper standing in a triangle on the counter. The front clearly spelled out _TO_ _MA_ in Henry's neat block letters, and Emma pushed her chair back to get to it. She placed Alba on her butt on the counter and wasted no time opening the note that she knew was from her son.

 _Ma,_ it said.

 _When you read this, Regina and I will be well on our way to Storybrooke, Maine. Please don't be mad at Regina, I told her that you were okay with it, and that it's just a research trip for my stories. Don't worry, I've packed plenty of snacks and warm clothes. I just want to see where all my stories take place. Regina takes good care of me, I promise._

 _I love you, and I will see you soon._

 _Henry._

"Son of a bitch!" Emma grumbled as she stared down at her daughter who was watching her with wide eyes, no idea what kind of tumult that was going on inside of her mother at the moment. "I'm gonna fucking kill your brother," Emma added in a baby-voice, before she scooped up her daughter, grabbed her things and slammed the door to the apartment on her way upstairs.

—-

This was a bad idea, she just knew it. Of all the crazy schemes she had indulged him in, this one was the worst. It could have serious repercussions if Emma did not react in the way that they predicted she would, and Regina was afraid to find out what would happen if that was the case.

"Relax," Henry quipped from the passenger's seat, "she's gonna run after me, steam coming out of her ears, to drag me back home."

Regina swallowed loudly, jaw working beneath her skin. "Oh Henry, we shouldn't have done this," she murmured, fingers clutching tightly around the steering wheel of their rental car, while she tried to navigate them out of Manhattan, "She's going to _kill_ me. She's never going to trust me again."

Henry pushed off his shoes and tucked his feet onto the seat, side-eyeing her. "Once she remembers, she will. It's going to be fine, Mom. I talked it over with Ruby. We have to get her to Storybrooke."

"By running off?" Regina questioned, shifting the gears as they slowed down at an intersection.

"Exactly," Henry nodded eagerly, thrumming his fingers against his knee. "But hey! Let's not worry about that yet, your phone's turned off, so's mine. We've got snacks-" He hooked his thumb over his shoulder to the stuffed backseat where their bags and items were stored. All of Regina's important possessions from her apartment, and the things that Henry treasured most from his room. "-and we managed to stop by Troy's place to deliver my letter. It's a good start."

Regina tried to relax her shoulders, knowing that he was right. This was the only way they could think of to get Emma to Storybrooke now. Perhaps in a few months they would have been able to convince her to go see Regina's hometown if they were still dating at the time, but Regina did not have a few months. Henry had been so impatient too, wanting to get back to his friends and his family, and Regina's powers of will regarding Emma were slowly starting to crumble. And she just wanted to start acting like a mother towards Alba, and was that so wrong? "Are you okay?" she questioned at that, offering him a small glance, just as the light turned green and she sped up again, "Saying goodbye to Troy like that? I… know you care for him."

Henry's smiling face faltered slightly, and he stared out the window. "You can say I like him, Mom," he mumbled, clearly not comfortable with this conversation now that their roles had changed, "I know we talked about this when you were just Regina, but… that doesn't change what I said. I like him a lot, but he likes Aisha."

Regina frowned, not able to understand how someone could _not_ like her perfect little prince. "I'm sorry."

"And like you said," Henry turned to look at her, offering her a small smile, "I will find someone else that I like and who likes me. It's a bit more difficult if it has to be a boy, but…" He furrowed his brow, and she could feel his eyes on her as she stared determinedly out the window, "Are you OK with that though?"

"With what?" she asked, clicking on the blinker.

Henry said, "It being a boy."

Regina caught a small glimpse of his boyish face, green eyes wide, lips parted, and he was her son, and how could she not be okay with that? "As long as you're happy, Henry," she promised him, briefly slipping her hand from the gear shift to pat his knee, "Emma and I will be thrilled regardless."

"You're gay, too, I guess," Henry mumbled, fidgeting slightly in his seat.

She couldn't help the small smile that came on her face at that. "Perhaps. I don't know about your mom, but I've always been either way," she explained, finding it somehow odd to be talking to her son about these things, but knowing that it was good for him – and good for her too, bonding with him like that. "It wasn't easy though, in the Enchanted Forest," she added, "being a woman who likes women. Not that I experienced it much, because as you know I was in love with Daniel, and not much long after, I married the King."

Henry furrowed his brow, his attention turned towards her fully. "But what about after the King died? In your… Evil Queen days?" He whispered the last part, her wonderful, sensitive little boy.

Cracking a smile, Regina continued, "I was a bit preoccupied, hunting for your grandmother," she chuckled, and Henry did too, "but I did enjoy the company of women then. It was somehow easier for me, after… after Daniel."

"And then you met Ma when she came to Storybrooke, and you liked her right away, didn't you?" Henry eagerly questioned, glossing over the fact that she had in not so many words told him that she liked to have sex with a lot of women when she was the Evil Queen. It was probably better that way anyhow.

Regina arched an eyebrow, eyes trained on the road, "I wouldn't say right away, but…" she smiled softly, thinking back to the days before the Curse broke, when she'd just wanted to rip Emma's clothes off her body and have her way with her. Back then it had been purely sexual, not having had sex with another female for almost thirty years – and Emma had been sexy as hell, taking down her tree, even if it had infuriated her – but only after the Curse broke and Emma stood up for her, did those feelings of desire turn into something a little more… loving. Not that she'd been able to admit that so soon.

Henry nodded, "There's not so many gay fairytales, huh."

"Certainly not," Regina smiled, reaching a hand out to clasp his, "but maybe you can change that. Write some of your own, hm."

Seemingly pleased with that proposition, Henry turned around slightly to rummage in the backseat. He returned moments after with two bottles of water, a bag of grapes and some crackers. He'd also grabbed his notebook and some of his printed stories, and he set them down on his lap and opened the bag of grapes immediately to snatch one.

Regina picked one too. "We can find a way to get him to visit, you know," she mumbled, and at Henry's confused look, she elaborated, "Troy. If you want to. I'll work on a way so he can come visit you in the spring."

"I'd really like that," Henry replied, head bobbing up and down. He reached for a bottle of water and took a long gulp, before opening the other bottle and offering it to her.

They were finally getting out of the heavy traffic, and Regina really couldn't wait until they reached the more deserted roads in Maine as the day progressed. Even with stops along the way to use the bathroom and stretch their legs, they should easily make it to Storybrooke tonight. She hadn't told Mary Margaret or David about their plan – not even Mulan and Belle – only Ruby had been a part of it, just in case something went wrong and they didn't make it there. Regina had lured her into checking the house and stocking the fridge for her, just as Ruby had promised to make sure that everyone was gathered at Granny's for dinner tonight, so Regina and Henry could surprise them. She wasn't sure if Emma would be quick enough to reach them tonight, or if they'd see her first thing tomorrow, but she was sure that the blonde woman wouldn't be long behind them. Her trip was going to be much more difficult though, having a seven month old baby with her on the road.

Regina felt a pang of sadness as she thought of Alba. It felt like she was letting her daughter down somehow, willingly leaving her behind in New York like that, but she knew it was the only way. She also knew that she would see Alba again soon enough. Emma was probably going to be furious with her regardless of what Henry wrote in the note, but as long as Regina could _see_ Alba – even without being able to hold her – she'd be okay. Hopefully all of this was going to work and soon enough she'd be Alba's mother like she really was.

They drove in silence for a while, Regina wallowing in her own thoughts – and perhaps fears – while Henry had his nose buried in his book or his papers, snacking on crackers and grapes. She really wanted to turn her phone on and reply to one of Emma's – without a doubt – many calls and texts, but it was probably better this way. She wasn't sure she would be able to deal with a furious Emma right now, telling her to get her son back to New York, or worse – a frightened and teary Emma, _begging_ her to get her son back to New York. That would somehow be even worse, knowing that Emma usually turned easier to anger than fear.

"I've been dreaming a lot about Maleficent lately," Henry suddenly said, looking up from where he'd been scribbling something in his notes. "And I can't remember – did the book originally say much about her?"

Regina bit her lip, trying to remember back to the many times she'd studied the book closer. "I'm not sure, Henry," she honestly said, brow furrowed as she drove, "but I'm guessing it's not likely. The book did have a tendency to gloss over the less than _good_ people, you know? Like my story. It didn't tell half the tale. And Maleficent was always the villain of her piece."

Henry contemplated that for a second or two, pencil perched on the paper, ready to write. "It just feels like she's a part of this tale, you know? Like… she's important. All this time in New York, I've only dreamt of people or places that were important to understand the story." He tapped the pencil, biting his lip. "There must be a reason."

"Henry, Maleficent is good and dead," Regina softly replied, not wanting to upset him. "Emma killed her with a sword, there is no way she could have survived that. I'm sorry." She paused, glancing at him briefly, happy to see that he didn't look too upset. She hadn't been too upset either, when Emma proclaimed Maleficent dead, even though they had quite a past together. "I'm not sure why she could be important to our story right now."

"I just," Henry paused, pulling out a few photos that had been tucked into the back of the notebook for safekeeping. The one on top was one of him and Lily, sitting together and smiling brightly, "I feel like she's…" He stopped talking, tongue poking out between his teeth.

Regina stared down at the picture. She'd come to quite like Lily, even if she'd been furious in the beginning, thinking that Emma had found someone new so soon, even if it wouldn't have been her fault. But knowing that Emma and Lily had not been more than friends, she could tell why Emma and Henry liked her. Sure, she wasn't really a person that Regina would normally associate with; too jaded, too rough around the edges, but it was clear that Henry really cared for her, and he was with out a doubt going to miss her now that they'd left New York.

Henry ran a finger down the picture and sighed. "And I just can't place Lily," he said next, turning his eyes up to look at her, round and childish.

Letting her tongue out to wet her lips, Regina said, "Isn't Lily just a normal person?"

"No," Henry quickly said, and he had such a thoughtful look on his face. "No, she's… she's from the other world."

Regina wasn't quite sure how that could even be possible, but stranger things had happened, and it certainly would explain why she and Emma had found each other so quickly after the Curse hit. Just like before, the magic of their land had a way of connecting Emma to it, even when she didn't know. Regina just wasn't sure if _Lily_ knew. "Do you think she-?"

"Knows?" Henry interjected. He shook his head. "No. She's – she's oblivious. Just like Ma. But I feel like I'm getting through to her, even if I don't know who she is."

Staring down at the picture once more, Regina thought she saw a certain familiarity in Lily's features; in the smile she had on for the camera and the way her eyes lit up. She couldn't really place it – actually not at all – but there was something there. Something she felt like she had seen before. She'd have to think more about that.

Henry grinned up at her, closing his notebook with a snap. "Soooo," he trailed off, cheekily reaching for the rest of his water, "bathroom break soon?"

Regina laughed and swatted at his hand.

—

Emma was hauling stacks of clothes into a duffel bag at random, Alba stuck on the bed with a toy, when she heard the familiar sound of a key turning in the lock. She grabbed a handful of underwear from her drawer, dropped those down on top of the rest of her clothes and smacked the drawer shut, just as Lily poked her head into the bedroom from the living room.

"Hi," Emma curtly said, before she brushed past Lily and into the living room, blatantly ignoring her best friend's look of confusion, grabbing her laptop and charger, before returning to the bedroom to place them lastly in the duffel bag. She stared down at the haphazardly packed items, wondering if she needed anything else. Oh, toiletries for sure. She swept past Lily once more, crossing the living room to get to the bathroom to grab her necessities.

Lily followed her, pausing against the doorway with crossed ankles and her phone in her hand. She watched Emma carefully through the mirror for a second, as the blonde stuffed her toilet bag with items, and eventually Lily's eyes fell onto the device in her hand. She cleared her throat. "Lilith Page," she read, voice cracking slightly by the formal use of her name, "call in sick, pack a bag and get your ass over here ASAP." She lifted her eyes again, meeting Emma's as the blonde turned to stare at her.

"I know what I wrote," Emma replied, before hurrying towards the bedroom again to drop the rest of her things into the bag. She'd already packed for Alba – and damn, babies needed a lot of shit, even for a two-day trip to pick up their troublesome brothers – and everything was set out by the kitchen table.

Lily sat down next to Alba on the bed, reached for the toy and dangled it in front of her face. "Do you know _why_ you wrote it?" Lily cheekily asked, eyes trained worriedly on Emma as the blonde zipped up the duffel bag.

Emma sighed, thumb moving into the corner of her mouth, teeth nibbling slightly at the skin as she locked eyes with Lily. "Henry convinced Regina to drive him to Storybrooke, so we're going to have to get there and get him back so I can kill him."

Gaping at her, Lily's mouth literally hung open in surprise. Her eyes were wide, and her hand had paused its playful dance with Alba. "Are you serious," she stated, and it wasn't even a question. "That _little_ shit!"

"I should have been stricter," Emma replied as she ran a worried hand through her hair, "I just – I hate that."

Lily nodded in agreement, "Yeah, you're not exactly strict parent material."

Emma shook her head and grabbed the duffel bag, motioning for Lily to grab Alba from the bed. "We need to pack snacks and then get going. I bet they left early this morning." She dropped the bag on the floor in the kitchen and started searching through her cupboards for food and drinks. She also needed to make sure that Alba had plenty to eat, and her head was spinning because she was just _so furious_ with Henry right now. She was mad at Regina, too, but not exactly in the same amount, because yes, the other woman should have made sure to check with Emma that what Henry told her was true – that she'd okay'ed for them to do this – but Emma knew better than anyone how persuasive her son could be, so she didn't blame her completely.

Henry though. Oh, Henry. _He_ was going to be grounded into the next century once they returned home after this little stunt. He was messing with their lives. Emma had to call her boss, and she was dragging Lily away from work too, because there was no way she could make this trip with Alba on her own. And the clock was already nearing noon now, so they had a good head start and _neither of them_ picked up their fucking phone.

Lily coddled Alba while Emma started packing things into yet another bag. "Do you need me to do anything? Should I start carrying the bags downstairs and throw them in the Bug?"

Emma paused, "Do you mind? That'd be fucking fantastic. You can place Alba on the couch," she said, before bending her head once more to the line up of baby food she'd found in her pantries.

As Lily sat Alba onto the couch – shielded from falling down by a throw pillow – she paused and picked up something from the table. "You drank the vial?" she questioned, turning to look at Emma.

The blonde nodded, absentmindedly watching her out of the corner of her eye. "What? Oh yeah, it didn't do shit. I didn't even have time to tell Henry, he was gone when I woke up."

"This is so fucking weird," Lily murmured, before she dropped the vial back onto table and loaded herself with as many bags as possible from the small pile Emma had made near the kitchen counter.

Emma paused her movements, turning to look at her best friend with a smile of appreciation. Lily had thrown three bags over her shoulders and was carrying the diaper bag and the pop-up crib in her arms, keys dangling from her thumb, and Emma was reminded once more how much she loved her. "Thank you," she murmured, voice wavering slightly as she locked eyes with Lily.

Shrugging it off, Lily turned towards the door. "Just promise me to kill him once we get there," she snapped, before pushing the door open. As it closed with a smack, Emma opened the refrigerator in search of more food.

—-

They drove past the _Welcome to Storybrooke_ sign that Henry had passed with Ma years ago, as just a ten-year-old boy in a yellow car with big thoughts and an even bigger determination, and now he entered Storybrooke yet again – this time with his other mom, who was clutching the steering wheel worriedly and nibbling at her red lips and staring straight at the empty road ahead.

Henry knew she had been worried that they, for some reason, wouldn't be able to enter Storybrooke again, and he could see her sag with relief as the rental car passed the invisible townline, and he wished he could have eased her worries, because he had had none of those whatsoever.

He was mostly awed by being back at the place where he'd said goodbye to her nineteen months ago and driven away with Ma towards New York and a life without Mom. They'd forgotten everything the second the Bug had crossed the line, but yet Mom had still lingered with them. Not only in the obvious form of Alba, but also in their dreams and in their hearts, even when they hadn't been aware of it. Storybrooke was home, and they were always meant to come back here, Henry knew that, so that was why he wasn't worried about the townline.

What did worry him though was the empty vial he had found next to Ma on the coffee table this morning on his way to sneaking out. He'd even made a detour to her nightstand, just to check that it was, in fact, that same vial, and when he found nothing there, he knew that she had drunken it late last night. He was almost tempted to wake her as he tucked the blanket around her and carefully placed the closed laptop on the table, but he knew that she hadn't gotten her memories back. If her memories had returned last night, he was pretty sure she would have awoken him, or at least he would have woken up to both Ma and Mom in the bedroom together.

He'd tried not to think too much about that when he'd kissed Alba goodbye and left the apartment. But now he couldn't help but think about that empty vial with a potion that didn't exist anymore, and if this for some reason failed, and bringing her to Storybrooke wasn't going to trigger anything, then he really didn't know how she was ever going to get her memories back. But he didn't want to tell Mom that, at least not right now.

She had too much on her mind, it was clear.

Henry turned on his cell phone and watched as text after text ticked in on his screen. There were several from Ma and Lily that he couldn't get himself to look at right now, and there was one from Troy that he'd definitely have to reply to later. He shot a text off to Ruby to let her know that they'd entered Storybrooke and then scrolled to his missed calls; there were a lot from Lily, but the ones that startled him most on his screen was the sight of _Ma (37)._

He'd known she'd be worried and pissed and worried and angry and worried and scared, but he hadn't really thought just how much she'd be all of those things, especially worried.

"We good?" Mom asked him as she cast a glance towards his phone.

"Ma's really worried, I think," Henry replied, just as they finally reached Main Street and he could see the ticking clock tower in the distance and the warm light emanating from Granny's Diner. He felt a surge of excitement rush through his stomach at that.

 _Home._ It was fantastic to be home.

Mom parked the car just as Ruby replied with a thumbs-up, and as Henry got out, Mom spent a few seconds checking herself in the rearview mirror. The long drive had worm them out; her mostly of course, and he knew she'd always want to be presentable when seeing his grandparents.

"Ready?" Henry eagerly asked when Mom stepped out of the car and closed the door behind her.

Mom gave a determined nod, and she placed a careful arm around his shoulders as she guided him towards the diner. Laughter could be heard coming from inside, and as Henry peeked in through the windows he saw Gran and Gramps, and Ruby and Belle, and some woman who had to be Mulan, and he pushed the door open, Mom right on his tail. When the bell jingled above them a hush went over the diner and all heads – one by one – turned to look at him and Ma as they stood there, finally arrived in Storybrooke.

Ruby gave him a real thumbs-up from behind the counter, and a loud shriek was heard – he recognised it immediately as Gran's – and before Henry had time to react, he'd been swooped into a bone crushing hug. "Henry," Gran whimpered, lips pressing plenty of kisses all over his face, "oh, you've grown so much! You're so big! What are you doing here?" She pulled back, green eyes serious as she regarded him.

"Me and Mom are back," Henry grinned, before swooping past her and into Gramps' waiting arms. He could hear Mom talking to Gran behind his back, probably telling her all about the trip and explaining why Emma and Alba weren't with them, but Henry let them be and was hugged by Belle and Ruby as well, before shaking hands with Mulan.

Belle hugged him once more, scooting into the seat to make room for him. "What do you want? Did you have dinner? Rubes, bring Henry a burger!"

Mulan piped in, "And perhaps a green salad for Regina?"

Henry grinned, and Ruby went off, moving into the kitchen to get their food, while Mom and Gran found their way to the booth as well, Mom taking a seat on the chair next to his, and Gran scooting in next to Gramps.

"You getting something to eat?" Mom asked him, running a hand over his head, brushing back his hair. He thought she looked happy right now, glad to be back in their town and everything it had to offer; safety, familiarity – even if he could also see a sadness there, a slightly broken heart that he could only assume was because Emma and Alba were left behind.

"What's going on right now?" Gramps asked, and he couldn't quite hide the grin on his face, even if it was evident that he was also troubled by the fact that his daughter wasn't with them. "When was this the plan?"

Mom opened her coat and carefully slid her scarf off her neck. "We planned it with Ruby. We didn't want to let you know it case it didn't work out."

"But what about Emma?" Mulan queried, brown eyes watching Mom carefully.

"She'll come looking for me," Henry optimistically said, knowing in his gut that it was the truth. He'd been Ma's – and only Ma's – son for nineteen months, and he knew their relationship and Ma's reactions better than anyone.

Mom nodded, "Our hope is that she'll come here and not be able to leave. It's a far stretch, but we were running out of options."

Ruby placed two plates on the table – a big greasy burger in front of Henry and a plain salad with dressing in front of Mom – and said, "You need magic, man. Magic to convince her stubborn ass. It's the only way."

"Ruby," Mom tsk'ed, glaring her down for using the word 'ass' in front of Henry; as if Ma hadn't said much worse in the past months. She'd never been much for keeping her talk clean. "But that reminds me," Mom continued, making a gesture with her hand, and instantly she was dressed in something else entirely, looking much fresher than Henry after their long drive, "Ah, much better. I've missed magic."

Gran's eyes were twinkling as she turned to Henry, "So when do you think we can expect Emma and Alba to get here?"

Henry reached for his burger, wrapping both hands carefully around it. "I think tomorrow. Alba's not used to long travels."

Mom picked up her fork and stabbed a piece of tomato. "It should give us an opportunity for a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, the real struggle begins."

"Tomorrow," Gran agreed, while Henry nodded and took a big bite of his burger.

* * *

A/N: So what did you guys think? I do realise it's kind of cruel for Henry and Regina to pull such a stunt on Emma, but I hope I conveyed the fact that Regina was not too pleased with it, but that she was seeing it as a last resort. And a lot of you guessed it – the potion didn't work on Emma, because she didn't have faith, not yet. Wonder what will happen once she and Lily arrive in Storybrooke? I can't wait for you guys to find out!


	18. Chapter Eighteen: Finding Henry

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN – FINDING HENRY**

She was taking a roaring chainsaw to one of the most beautiful apple trees she had ever seen before. The sun was beaming down on her, and she was in a tank top in a secluded back garden of a big white building. She should probably have felt at peace at that, but she didn't. She was _pissed off_ ; furious, and it was bubbling like a fire inside of her, churning in her stomach as she cut off a giant branch of the tree, watching as it scattered to the ground, red apples toppling everywhere.

She couldn't remember having ever felt so angry before in her life; not even at Neal when he'd left her to his jail sentence, and not even when she realised that her parents were never going to come back for her and love her. She was fuming, and all her anger was directed at one person – _her._ With her stupidly gorgeous face and her messed up affections and her control-issues.

She stepped back, staring up at the white building, eyes landing on a scowling face in one of the top windows. _Regina's scowling face._ Emma smirked to herself and fired up the chainsaw again to resume her cutting with ferocious glee.

Not many minutes after, Regina was storming towards her in a tight grey dress, murder in her eyes. "What the hell are you doing?" she yelled.

"Picking apples," Emma retorted and threw the chainsaw behind her. Oh, she was so ready for this throw down to happen.

"You're out of your mind," Regina growled, coming to a stop in front of Emma, brown eyes on fire.

Emma met her stare with equal fire, "No you are, if you think a shoddy frame-job is enough to scare me off. You're gonna have to do better than that." She didn't flinch, challenging the beautiful woman in front of her; the woman Emma had only ever associated with warmth and care, which was why these emotions were so confusing to her. "If you come after me one more time, I'm coming back for the rest of this tree," she promised, heartbeat pounding in her chest, "Because sister, you have no idea… what _I'm_ capable of."

Regina fumed, lips twitching, and it looked like she wanted to say something back to Emma, and all Emma could feel inside of her was a strange mix of wanting to kiss that anger off her face as well as continue to elicit it.

The blonde woman turned and walked away, confident in her upper hand. "Your move," she spat, and just as Emma was about to examine the rush of emotions in her stomach, she heard Regina call her name behind her – albeit a lot more softly than she would have expected given the encounter that had just happened.

"Emma," she heard, and Emma turned around in confusion, expecting to see the other woman on her tail, but instead she saw nothing, and she blinked, tired, and suddenly it was Lily's face in front of her, "Emma, you need to wake up."

Groggily, Emma came to it on the backseat of the Bug, wincing slightly as she sat up, neck cracking. Alba was sleeping soundly in her baby-seat next to her, and Lily had one hand on the steering wheel and the other on Emma's knee. "What, are we there yet?" Emma questioned, rubbing her eyes.

Lily shook her head, "No, we're at least two hours out, assuming we can easily find the town." She clicked the blinker on the car, a pensive look on her face. "I know you really wanted to get there tonight, but I think we should stop at a motel, get some rest. Alba needs to properly sleep, and I need to stretch my legs."

Emma bit her lip, side-eyeing her daughter who'd already been through so much today on this road trip of theirs. She glanced Lily next, noticing the fatigue in her best friend's shoulders, before her eyes finally landed on her watch, noticing that it was already past seven. "But Henry…" she wanted to argue. There was this constant worry in her stomach, a worry that had somehow started to overshadow her anger, as the day had progressed and they didn't hear from either him or Regina.

"There's a text message from him on your phone," Lily explained, and Emma scrambled to reach for it on the front seat, "I tried calling him when it ticked in, but he sent me straight to voicemail. Kid knows he's in deep shit."

Retrieving her phone, Emma sunk back in her seat and eagerly opened the message from Henry. Her throat was dry, and she was hungry; their snacks not having lasted long with her and Lily's insatiable hunger, and it smelled like Alba really needed a clean diaper soon. She scanned the words her son had written, somehow growing angrier again at his blatant attempts to piss her off.

"What does it say?" Lily questioned, somehow catching Emma's eyes in the rearview mirror.

Emma cleared her throat, brow furrowed. "Uhm. _Hi Ma,_ " she read, " _Don't worry about me. I guess you're really mad, but I'm having such a good time. Regina is letting me sleep in her house, but I guess I'll see you tomorrow if you're really coming to get me._ " She frowned, dropping her phone with a scowl, "Not even an apology. It's like he's trying to make me madder."

Lily rolled her shoulders. "I don't get it. This is really not like him," she commented, clicking on the blinker as she turned off the main road. "I'm taking us to a motel by the way. We'll resume first thing in the morning."

Nodding, Emma said, "Well usually it's not like him, but lately he's been really pushing my limits. What has gotten into him?"

"I've got absolutely no fucking idea," Lily husked, and her eyes met Emma's once more, briefly, over her shoulder. "I'll let you stew in that anger until tomorrow. He needs to hear it."

"I don't think he realises how much this worries me," Emma muttered, reaching a hand out to brush Alba's head lightly, relishing the fact that at least one of her kids was well-behaved at the moment. "He better have a good fucking explanation for this."

Lily frowned, the car coming to a stop outside a small motel with the lights on and what looked to be a decent diner. "Dinner, sleep, car ride and then kill Henry?" she suggested, trying vainly to make Emma crack a smile.

Emma unbuckled Alba's car seat, "Definitely that last one," she murmured, before opening the door and pulling Alba with her outside.

—-

It was almost like Henry wanted them to find him, because he'd turned on his phone, and the app she'd installed on it had been reconnected again. She could see clearly where he was; the GPS signal blinking steadily on her screen. What confused her the most though was the fact that it looked like he was in the middle of nowhere. There was absolutely _nothing_ on that screen, not even nearby; nothing except roads and woods and water, so it was kind of strange how he could be in Storybrooke when there was nothing _there._

She assumed that maybe the town really was so small that it wouldn't be placed on any map, but it was still weird, because satellites _usually_ didn't account for that, like, at all. Which meant that there should really be more on her electronic map if Henry was, indeed, in Storybrooke. It was bothering her a bit, but they were following it anyway, as well as Emma's intuition in regards to which way to drive. Strangely, it felt like she had this weird pull inside of her, guiding her in the right direction, and she assumed it was that motherly instinct that people always talked about that she'd never really thought she truly possessed.

Lily was in the passenger's seat, snacking on nuts, and Alba was babbling happily in the backseat as they drove and drove, by so many trees. Emma had awoken this morning with a new batch of anger ruminating inside of her, and she was truly ready to give Henry an earful once they finally found him. According to her phone and her inner compass, it could be any time within the next thirty minutes or so.

"Hey, I had this weird dream yesterday," Emma suddenly said, recalling that strange encounter Dream Emma had had with Dream Regina when she'd fallen asleep in the backseat. It had truly been odd, because not only had Regina looked different, but it had also felt different, like all the warm and loving feelings Emma had developed for her over the last few months were mixed with a strange sense of loathing and – even more odd when mixed with hate – the surges of a wild attraction.

Swallowing, Lily said, "Yeah?"

Emma hummed, "Yeah, I was – I was fighting with Regina, I guess. And I was cutting down an apple tree, her apple tree, probably, considering how she was reacting." She swallowed, clutching the steering wheel in her hands, "But it seemed like we _hated_ each other. I was so mad at her, you don't even understand. I threatened her."

Lily glanced at her, casual hand on the back of her seat, "Well, maybe you're projecting."

Emma arched an eyebrow. "Projecting?"

"Yeah," Lily hummed, as if that was the most sensible thing in the world, "Like, you keep saying you're mostly mad at Henry, but truth be told, you should be pissed at her, too, you know? Someone doesn't just take another person's kid on a road trip without at least _talking_ to the parent." She paused, brushing a strand of her hair out of her face, "And I get why you keep trying to convince yourself that you're not pissed at her, because you like her, but maybe your subconscious is actually pretty furious."

"I guess so," Emma frowned, eyes trained on the road. She had this feeling that they were closer now, just near the town where she could find her son. "I mean. I'm pretty confident she'd never do anything to hurt me on purpose, she just probably didn't think too much about it."

Lily nodded, "But you should still be mad, Ems. Like, tell her it's not cool. Even if you like her."

Emma tapped her finger, right hand coming down to the gearshift as the Bug drove down a deserted road that suddenly seemed awfully familiar. Hadn't she seen that curve in the road before? "I do kind of want to yell at Henry and _then_ her, you know? I just want to believe _so badly_ that she didn't know that she was hurting me." She flinched, seeing something white straight ahead, protruding through the green trees. "Hey, is that-"

Cutting her off, Lily's face spotted a giant smile as she read the words. " _Welcome to Storybrooke_!" She sighed happily, turning her face to Emma's, "We here, Swannie. And before noon. What do you say?"

"I say thank fuck," Emma breathed, and as they passed the white sign, she felt this odd sense of relief, a surge of comfort rush through her. They were getting to Henry; she'd hug him soon, and then kill him. The Bug drove forward, and not long into the border of the town, the road turned from trees and forest to clusters of houses, buildings, before Emma instinctually took a left turn and they were driving down on Main Street, a least according to the sign.

A sense of familiarity hit her at that, and she felt like she'd been there before. Everything seemed familiar somehow, and she was starting to think that perhaps she _had_ been to Storybrooke when she was younger, and that she just didn't know it. Even the dreams she had had seemed to have portrayed the town perfectly, as everything was where she expected it to be, and if that didn't mean she remembered it subconsciously, then she didn't know what it meant.

She stared ahead, noticing the familiar sign of _Granny's Diner,_ and she steered the Bug in that direction. Beside her, Lily shuddered violently, and her hand come out to clasp Emma's. "It's good that were there," she murmured, breathing heavily, "I'm suddenly feeling a little car sick."

Emma glanced briefly at her friend, noticing that she, indeed, was looking at little green all of a sudden, and she slowed down the speed. "Oh shit, we need to get some breakfast in you," she murmured, even if it meant that Henry would have to wait for a second. She could let Lily and Alba stay at the diner and then go to search for her son. She paused though, squinting her eyes as she realised that two familiar figures were lingering outside of what had to be Granny's Diner, and they were staring expectantly at the Bug as Emma neared them. Other people were gathered there as well, casually drinking coffee on the benches on the patio, and Emma parked the Bug by the curb and immediately shut the engine off.

Lily fell out of the car, landing on the ground and heaving dramatically, and Emma rushed to her side, kneeling down next to her friend. "Solid ground," Lily rasped, meeting Emma's eyes, "We made it, Ems."

Emma ran a hand over her forehead. "Shit, you're burning up. I think this is more than just car sickness," she said, concern suddenly flowing through her. "You need to relax a bit, Lily."

"Go," she said, nudging her head towards the crowd of people not far from them; the people who were watching the scene with worried and confused glances, "go kill your son. I'll sit here for a bit and then grab Alba."

"Are you sure?" Emma questioned as she gnawed on her lip. Her eyes landed on Henry, who was looking at Lily with concern. The look on his face was unreadable, and she felt herself grow even more frustrated with him; why didn't he look more sorry? Why didn't he show remorse? If anything, he just looked slightly smug.

Lily chuckled dryly, "I've got you, Swan," she promised, and she patted Emma's hand, before giving her a little push in the direction of the diner.

Emma straightened her back and took a deep breath as she worried her bottom lip with her teeth. Until now her attention had solely been on Henry, but her eyes moved to Regina, who was standing right next to him, and she, at least, looked sorry for this. It had probably occurred to her that Emma wasn't onboard with Henry's road trip after all.

"Ma," Henry greeted as she came closer. He went through the entrance in the fence and met her with open arms.

She pulled him in for a hug, tucked him as close as possible and breathed in his boyish scent. "You're okay," she whispered, running her hands down his back and up into his hair, "you're okay." She allowed herself a second, Henry tucked in her arms as she accepted that he was unhurt.

Henry chuckled slightly, pulling away from her embrace. "I'm okay, Ma," he said, and the look on his face – so happy and carefree – set her off once more.

Emma glared at him. "What the _hell_ were you thinking?" she hissed, fingers clutched by her side. "Henry, do you have any idea what kind of turmoil you've put me through in the last 24 hours? I was so _worried_ about you."

Eyes wide, Henry said, "I just wanted to see Storybrooke, Ma! I knew you weren't going to let me, so I lied, OK? But I needed to see where my characters live."

"You needed nothing!" Emma firmly said, and she'd never felt more like a parent than she did right that moment. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that a tall and lanky waitress had moved to help Lily into the diner, guiding her slightly as Lily carried Alba. "You need to do as I say, do you understand? I am your _mother_ for fuck's sake! I don't know what has gotten into you lately. You're supposed to be smart and reasonable and not pull stunts like this!" She groaned, shaking her head at him, "I know you're a teenager soon, but this is too much, Henry. It's simply too much."

"But-"

Emma cut him off, firm and determined. "You know what? I can't even scold you properly right now. I am so mad, do you understand that?" She breathed out, nostrils flaring, and the feeling of anger thrumming right beneath her skin as she clenched her fists. "You're going to go inside that diner and take a seat with Lily and Alba, and if I so much as hear a peep out of you, I am going to burn all of your notebooks."

Henry stared at her, eyes wide.

"I am not done with you, and you're grounded into the next century," Emma finished, and it looked like Henry had suddenly understood just the kind of hell that Emma had been in the last day. She was a lenient parent, she always had been, but perhaps her preferred parenting style was going to need a few twists in the future. "Now scram."

He sullenly walked off, turning on his heel and entered the diner with slump shoulders. A few of the other people on the patio followed him inside, and Emma breathed out, trying to steady herself before the next confrontation she was going to have. It was different, being mad at Regina; she wasn't her son whom she could ground and demand answers from, Regina was a grown up woman whom Emma had real feelings for, and yet she was _so angry_ with her right now. Disappointed even, because why hadn't Regina thought far enough ahead to see that this wasn't okay?

"Emma…" Regina softly said, stepping closer, coming to the other side of the fence. Her face showed deep worry. Her brown eyes were not the vibrant orbs filled with so much care that Emma had grown used to; they were troubled, flickering slightly.

Emma sighed, lifting her eyes to meet Regina's. She wasn't raising her voice, the words came out cool and collected. "Do you have _any idea_ what it feels like to get a call that says your kid isn't at school?" she questioned, staring flatly at the brunette.

Regina clenched her jaw. "Yes."

"To realise that he's run off to another town?" Emma continued, jaw clenched and eyes defiant.

"Yes," Regina agreed again, eyes shiny with unshed tears.

Emma stared at her, confused by her reaction. She didn't know what to say right this second, because Regina was acting so differently than Emma had sort of expected. She'd imagined more of a fight, more push-back – kind of like Dream Regina who'd looked at her with such hatred – but perhaps that was the issue, wasn't it? Dream Emma had been the one to maltreat Dream Regina's tree, which excused her anger, but in this scenario? In this scenario Regina was the one in the wrong, and perhaps she'd realised that.

"Can you appreciate how insanely worried I have been?" Emma questioned next. Her voice was shaking with anger, frustration, disappointment, and she'd once more fisted her hands by her sides. "No one picked up their phone. Just a note!"

Regina winced. "I apologise. Henry said it was okay. I assumed he was telling the truth."

Emma clenched her jaw. "And you just believed him? He's a _kid._ And you know how he's been acting up lately, I've told you about it!" She crossed her arms in front of her chest, regarding Regina sternly. "You should have realised that he was feeding you a bunch of baloney."

Bending her head and casting down her eyes, Regina nodded. "I know that." She met Emma's eyes once more, jaw working beneath her skin, and tears streaming down her cheeks freely. "Emma, I apologise. I didn't – I didn't _think_ ," she finished, spitting the word out between blood red lips.

It was the truth though, Emma could clearly tell that. Obviously she hadn't thought too much about it, because then she would have realised that it was a shitty idea. But how could Emma just – just forget this? She'd already pushed one thing aside for Regina's sake, because she liked her so much, and honestly this was turning out to be a shitty track record. She straightened her back. "I just don't understand how you could do this. You're a parent, you should know."

"I never meant to hurt you," Regina whispered, body shaking as she took a careful step closer. "I just – I wanted to help Henry. I wanted to…" She trailed off, and Emma had never experienced her this ineloquent before. "I care about you _so much_. You and the kids."

Emma furrowed her brow, a surge of something warm sweeping over her at those words. But _no_ , no. Regina couldn't say nice things and get out of this so easily. "And I care about you," Emma honestly replied, tiredly rubbing her cheek and sighing. "I just don't understand what it is that you want from me."

Regina's eyes flickered. "What do you mean?"

"I really thought we had something, you know?" Emma said, eyes locking onto Regina's beautiful face as she took in her shaking, yet rigid, body, "When I met you, I thought I had finally found a stunning, funny, _incredible_ woman who'd accept me with all my crap. My past, my two kids, my best friend who's there way too much because she doesn't have anyone else." She paused, swallowing loudly, heart breaking slightly at the mere thought of the words she knew she had to say. "But this is just too weird for me."

Brown eyes shot up, worry marring Regina's face. "Emma-" she hoarsely said.

But Emma continued, on a roll, needing to get these last few words off her chest. "I drank the potion, did you know that? This weird potion that I still don't understand. I drank it." She paused, breathing heavily out. "I did that because I care _so much_ about you."

"You – you _drank_ it?" Regina whispered, eyes suddenly moving over Emma's body hurriedly.

Emma shrugged. "Yeah. Nothing happened, and I still don't understand the importance of it, because _you won't tell me_." She felt something clench in her throat, and she swallowed loudly a few times to get rid of it. "Can't you just try to explain to me what it is that you want from me?"

Regina's eyes flickered once more and she looked defeated; more tired than Emma had ever seen her, jaded. Almost as if she had given up. "Nothing," she whispered, painfully squeezing her eyes shut. A few tears prickled down her cheeks. "I don't want anything except _you_ ," she whispered, and when she opened her eyes again, they were on fire, and there was no doubt in Emma's mind that she meant it.

"I don't know if you can have me now," Emma honestly whispered. She wanted to say to her that they could figure this out, that once they returned to New York, they could start over _again_ but only if Regina's promised complete honesty. But Emma wasn't sure she could get past this – it was her _son_. Henry. How was she meant to trust Regina with anything after this stunt? But oh, her heart wanted to trust her, to believe in her. And she wanted to kiss those tears away at the same time that she wanted to yell at her.

"Are you going back to New York now?" Regina asked, voice wavering. The wind picked up slightly, blowing her short hair out of her face. Even with mascara traces down her cheeks, Emma had never found her more beautiful.

With a sigh, Emma stuck her hands into her pockets. "Lily's not feeling too great. Car sickness," she explained at Regina's questioning look. "We're going to have to wait it out, but we'll probably start the drive back later, depending on how she feels." Emma shuffled awkwardly, stomach churning. "Are you coming back with us, or are you staying here? I noticed you emptied your apartment."

Regina's nostrils flared slightly, brown eyes soulful as she straightened her back and mirrored Emma's position; hands in her pockets. "I'll be staying here," she firmly said, determination shining out of her.

It shouldn't feel like her heart was breaking slightly at that, but it sure as fuck did. She'd _hoped_ that Regina would come with them. Even if nothing would ever happen, at least it would have seemed like Regina was fighting for it. And damnit, Emma wanted her to fight for it. "Oh… well," she sighed, "I guess I'll find you later to say goodbye."

There was a deep breath from the other woman, a pained expression and a short nod. "Yes. I guess you will." She brushed a hand over her cheek and pushed past Emma. "See you later."

Emma turned to watch her go, frown edged across her face as she watched the retreating figure; dark hair and dark jacket, red scarf the only splash of colour. She almost wanted to call out for her, to tell her that she _should_ come back to New York, because they could get past this also, and they could be _extraordinary,_ but no words came out of her mouth. Emma simply just watched her go, and once Regina had turned a corner, Emma brushed past a few people still lingering on the patio and into the diner. Damn, she needed some coffee before dealing with her son.

—-

Furious with herself, Regina hurled a fireball into a shelf of books as she entered the vault with a whoosh of purple smoke. She screamed, hurling yet another right behind it, and when that wasn't enough, she grabbed a book and threw it at the mirror on the wall. It shattered immediately, a round hole in broken shards, and Regina stared at her obstructed face, flickering in the remains.

She was fuming, purple was literally coming out of her ears, and she had no idea how to stop it. She could feel her magic thrumming just beneath the surface of her skin, and more than ever she wanted to light something on fire and watch it burn to the ground. She'd killed thousands for less than this, and yet she was managing to reel it in.

The most frustrating thing was, it wasn't even Emma she was furious with. It was _herself._ She was mad at herself for allowing things to go like this, and for being in a position where she could do nothing but take Emma's wrath, because from the blonde's point of view it was well-deserved. Regina _hated_ that she couldn't push back, hated that they'd finally managed to get Emma there, and nothing seemed to have changed. And she absolutely loathed the fact that Emma had finally decided to drink the potion and _nothing –_ not a single thing – appeared to have happened.

With another scream, Regina wiped her counter clean before falling to the ground, back pressed against the stone of her vault. She cradled her head in her hands, angry tears welling up in her eyes yet again, and she let them, finally alone, and finally free from Emma's disappointed eyes that still – for some reason Regina really couldn't phantom – held abundance of care for her. She bent her knees, sobbing into nothing as she thought of how messed up her life had become.

If Emma was truly unaffected by all of this, would she be able to leave Storybrooke and take Henry and Alba with her? Would Regina follow her again if that was the case? She couldn't imagine not going where her children were, couldn't imagine not being near them or Emma, but what if Emma never forgave her for this _insipid, foolish_ stunt? Yes, she'd been convinced that it was necessary, and on some level she still believed that it was, but she should have known better. This was never going to make her out to be a wonderful person, it was always going to make her into a bad guy.

But wasn't that a label she was willing to accept if it meant getting her family back home? If it meant convincing Emma that this was where they belonged, and that they should all be together? She _needed_ those three people to live like she needed air. It wasn't just for fun that she'd brewed a forgetting potion when they arrived in the Enchanted Forest. She'd been entirely ready to take it if it meant getting rid of that constant heartache in her chest.

Leaning her head back against the wall, Regina closed her eyes. The tears had stopped, and she was just tired, fatigue overtaking her body like never before. She'd thought it would be bad, that Emma would be furious, but that calm and collected person she'd dealt with in front of Granny's was something else entirely. She was used to a pissed off Emma who yelled and flung things and took chainsaws to her apple trees, but this person? This person she'd never experienced before. It was one of the most frightening things she had ever seen. Emma was _disappointed_ in her. _Hurt_ by her. And Regina's heart ached by the thought of that.

"Snow said I would be able to find you here."

Opening her eyes, Regina saw Mulan standing there, curiously glancing around the vault, dark eyes taking in the stone walls and the magical items. "She would, the imbecile. Can't a Queen have some peace in her own vault around here?"

Mulan ran a finger over the stone wall, shuffling awkwardly. "Well, it's not really that homey."

"I'm redecorating," Regina dryly said, ignoring the mess she'd made earlier.

Falling onto the floor beside her, Mulan stretched her legs out and leaned herself against the wall as well. She didn't say anything, she simply just sat there in all her quietness and stared straight ahead at the broken mirror.

Regina snapped. "If you're waiting for a tour, you're not getting one."

Mulan huffed, seemingly amused by her sarcasm, and she nudged her shoulder to Regina's. "So that didn't go so well, huh."

Glaring at her, Regina said nothing.

"I mean, we probably should have suspected that," Mulan added, turning her gaze towards Regina with a soft smile. "I know I didn't get to spend so much time with Emma back in the Enchanted Forest, but I could have probably guessed she'd be pretty mad at you."

Regina closed her eyes. "I don't know why I thought this was a good idea. And I don't know what to do next."

Mulan was quiet for a second or two. "Well, giving up is not gonna do you any good. We're still going to get your family back, and that's a promise."

"How," Regina simply stated, opening her eyes to meet Mulan's brown ones.

"You'll figure it out," Mulan promised, and she seemed so sure of it that it took Regina by surprise.

Regina furrowed her brow, lip twitching slightly. " _I'll_ figure it out? It seems like all I've done is create more troubles for myself."

Mulan fidgeted slightly with the badge on her belt that David had made her wear. She was dressed in jeans as well, and a white t-shirt, completely relaxed in this world's clothing in a way that Regina had never seen her before. It looked good on her. "I don't believe that," she mused, fingers running over her belt, "Actually, to me it seems like everyone else has created all of the troubles. You've merely played along. It has been… surprising, to say the least."

Frowning, Regina said, "What do you mean?"

"Well," Mulan shuffled, sitting up and turning her gaze back to Regina's face. "It seems to me that you've let others decide how to proceed for far too long," she confidently said as she brushed a piece of hair behind her ear, "I mean - I was expecting you to take charge Evil Queen-style, but you've just… listened to everybody."

Regina huffed. "No, I haven't."

Mulan stared pointedly at her, "Whose idea was it to cast the Curse again?"

"…Snow's."

"And whose idea was it to send you to New York with the potions?" Mulan continued.

Regina bit her lip. "I guess David was the first to mention it."

Mulan hummed, clearly pleased with herself. "And may I ask, whose idea was it to go on this insane road trip to Storybrooke, even though it was clear that it was going to piss Emma off?"

With a sigh, Regina said, "Ruby and Henry's."

"Yes," Mulan agreed, nodding her head. "Clearly, everyone else has been calling the shots, and I can't help but wonder why you've let them."

Regina gazed down at her jacket, fingers fidgeting slightly with the buttons of her coat as she sat there in silence, not wanting to answer Mulan. She guessed the other woman had a valid point; Regina had let the rest of her family decide a lot of things in regards to getting Emma back. It wasn't a conscious decision as much as it was just… the way things had played out.

Mulan cleared her throat, forcing Regina to look back up at her. "Can I tell you what I think?"

"Might as well," Regina offered with a sigh, motioning for the other woman to continue.

A small smile played across Mulan's face at that. "I think," she begun, softly, softer than Regina had ever experienced her before, "that you were afraid that you – on your own – wouldn't be enough to bring Emma here. That she doesn't love you enough to choose you." She swallowed and reached a hand out to brush it gently over Regina's knee. "So I guess it was probably easier for you to protect yourself and hide behind everyone's shitty ideas."

Regina stared at her, heart thumping madly in her chest as she took in the words that Mulan was saying. If she was being honest, she would probably have gone about this entire situation in a very different way. Honesty, for one, would have been one of the biggest things she would have changed. Perhaps she could have gotten Emma back simply by loving her.

"You're insecure," Mulan continued, and Regina was about to open her mouth to object to that, but the look she received silenced her, "and it's okay. Anyone would be in your situation. But you don't need to be," she whispered, hand still moving over Regina's knee. "I know in my heart that Emma loves you, and if you want this to work out, you should put more faith in your own abilities. Go with your instincts."

"But what if it doesn't work?" Regina whispered, hand coming out to press firmly down on Mulan's. Needing the grounding, needing the touch somehow. Her heart beat wildly inside of her, and the mere thought of putting herself out there – of really putting herself out there, entirely and completely – with no gain, it was scarier than anything she had ever faced.

Mulan offered her a sideways smile. "I'm confident that it will," she said.

Regina swallowed loudly and nodded. "When did you turn out to be so smart, hm?"

"I've been spending a lot of time with Belle," Mulan replied, and as soon as the words had left her lips, a deep blush rose on her tan skin.

Not able to help herself, Regina nudged her slightly. "Oh, you have, have you?"

Mulan continued to blush deeper. "Shut up," she mumbled.

Regina squeezed her hand tightly. "I'm happy for you. Both you and Belle deserve someone great. Someone who's worthy of them and who loves them fiercely."

"So do you, you know," Mulan replied, and she gave Regina's hand a squeeze right back.

Breathing out a sigh, Regina wasn't so sure that she did. But she was going to try to fight for it anyway. And this time – she was going to do it her way.


	19. Chapter Nineteen: Magical

**CHAPTER NINETEEN – MAGICAL**

After an uncomfortable breakfast in the diner, Lily was not feeling any better, so Emma got the friendly waitress – Ruby, her name tag said – to set them up with a room in the adjacent hotel, so she could sleep it off. She wasn't sure what had suddenly fallen over her friend, but she suspected she had maybe eaten something bad at the diner the night before.

So Emma was stuck in this small town with her two kids all day, and she could see no other thing to do than explore. Technically Henry did not deserve any such thing, but she couldn't very well leave him in the care of Lily, who was way too sick to be in charge of a known run-away. So Henry huddled along next to her, trying to hide how pleased he was at these turn of events – which he had _better_ try to, because Emma was still _angry_ – and she pushed Alba's stroller in front of her, thankful that she and Lily had decided to pack it after all, just in case they might need it.

The town had a nice homey feeling to it though; Emma immediately felt secure and comfortable walking up and down the street, and Henry guided her into a nearby park with a little pond, and it was all very, very cosy. The weird thing was that people kept looking at her funnily. One second she'd be pushing Alba down a pathway and the next a redheaded man with a Dalmatian would gasp and coo down at the baby.

As they took a seat on a small bench and unpacked the sandwiches that Emma had ordered to-go at the diner, she took notice of a small pixie-cut woman lingering nearby, casually looking at a bird in a tree. Emma felt like that woman might have circled the park as many times as they had, and now that she thought even more about it, it felt like she'd also been at the diner this morning. Did no one in this town have a job to go to?

She seemed oddly familiar though, and as she fed Alba the last jar of arroz con leche – with a sad pang in her heart that she couldn't deny – she stared at her and tried to place her. Wasn't she one of the people that Regina had shown her a picture of? One of her friends? Emma nudged Henry with the toe of her boot, motioning towards the woman. "Is that someone Regina knows?"

"That's Mary Margaret," Henry informed her through bits of sandwich in his mouth, "She's one of Regina's friends. Do you want me to call her over?" His excitement was evident, and before Emma managed to say _no_ , he'd raised his hand in a wave, "Mary Margaret! Hey! Come meet my mom."

The woman heard Henry instantly, and she turned on her heel and crossed the grass to stand awkwardly by the side of their bench. "Emma," she greeted, and her green eyes were shining mysteriously, "it's good to see you."

Emma paused, licking her lip as she regarded the woman. She looked to be just about her age – maybe even younger, and definitely younger than Regina – but there was something entirely motherly about her. "How do you know my name?" she murmured, dapping her lips with a napkin and swallowing loudly.

"Oh you know," Mary Margaret gushed, voice soft and friendly. "Regina's told us so much about you. It's a small town and news travel fast." She let out a little chuckle and folded her hands in front of her. "I was so happy to hear that Regina had found love again."

Taking another bite, Emma took her sweet time chewing and swallowing, while the other woman waited patiently, and Henry pretended not to listen while feeding Alba spoonfuls of food. "Well, some love that is," Emma replied, before turning to Henry and saying, "Not so quickly. Eat your own food."

Scowling, Henry dropped the spoon into the jar and returned to his sandwich. Emma knew that she was being harsh with him for the littlest things today, but he did well to remember what he had done. This wasn't just something that she'd punish him for for a day or two; his actions needed consequences.

Mary Margaret's eyes turned to Alba, and her entire demeanour shifted. Her shoulders sagged, her face lit up, and she stepped tentatively closer, eyes filled with something inexplicable. "That's a beautiful daughter you have."

"Her name's Alba," Emma replied, feeding the baby another spoon; effectively scraping out what appeared to be the last rice inside of the jar, "she's almost eight months."

Green eyes shimmering, Mary Margaret said, "It seems like she really enjoys those arroz con leche, huh."

Emma hummed, lowering her gaze to look at the jar. "Yeah, I guess. Regina made them, but sadly that was the last…" She paused, brow furrowed when she saw that the jar was still only halfway to empty. "Huh. I could've sworn I took the last of this before," she commented, before dipping the spoon into the rice to scoop some more up for Alba.

Henry snorted next to her, his eyes landing on his little sister in admiration.

Mary Margaret continued, "Are you planning on staying in town a while? If you are, my husband and I would love to have you and Regina over for dinner. I like to get to know the people that she cares about."

"Wasn't planning on it," Emma gruffly said, pausing to take a bite out of her own food, "We gotta get back home to New York."

Mary Margaret's face fell slightly. "Oh… Well, if you change your mind, let me know, OK? You can get my number from Regina."

Licking her lips, Emma said, "Sure," and Mary Margaret shared a soft smile with Henry before she turned on her heel and left them to their lunch.

When Emma looked into the jar once more, she swore that it had somehow gotten even fuller. She shrugged to herself and let the spoon rest there, picking up her own sandwich.

When they were done eating, they left the park and walked towards the woods, where Henry swore there was a playground. Emma wanted to give Lily a bit more time to get better, and she had started to accept the fact that they might need to spend the night in Storybrooke before they could go back home. Alba was napping in her stroller, and Henry was leading the way, greeting everybody they met with a warm smile. Emma found it quite amazing how he'd been able to get to know everybody within the span of _one_ day.

"Hi Henry! Emma," a blonde woman greeted them, waving happily on the other side of the street.

Henry waved back, "Hi Kathryn!"

Two minutes later, a grumpy, small man stopped to peer into the stroller, staring down at Alba with vague contempt. "Another one, I see. Damn babies everywhere," he stared up at Emma, shooting her a toothy smile, "Emma, Henry," he greeted, before stepping backwards, heading for the door to an establishment called The Rabbit Hole – at least according to the sign on top of the door. Emma thought it was probably a bar, it had that look on it.

"Bye Leroy," Henry happily said, and it continued like that while they walked towards the playground, and Emma was starting to wonder when her son had suddenly become so _social._ Sure, he had friends in New York, but this was weird. He'd never been able to get comfortable with people that quickly. Perhaps the small town life really was better suited for him.

When they finally found the playground, Emma was amazed by the big wooden construction where children were happily playing and running around. She took a seat on a bench in the shade, Alba in the stroller right next to her, and took out her phone while she told Henry to burn off some energy if he wanted to. She watched him rush off to the swings where a group of older children were hanging around, partly swinging, partly just talking, and he was greeted with high fives from two of them and a hug from another. _Seriously, this day just keeps getting stranger and stranger,_ Emma mused to herself.

"Hi, Emma, it's so good to see you."

Emma looked up from her phone, surprised that someone had spoken to her, and she came face to face with a tall blonde woman with a significant pregnancy bump. "Uh, hello?" Emma lamely questioned.

The woman took a seat next to her on the bench. "Alexandra is playing in the sandbox, look," she pointed to the sandbox not far from them, where a young man was sitting with a toddler in his arms, building small figures in the sand. "She's growing so big, we decided we wanted another one."

Frowning, Emma said, "Uhm, that's… awesome?"

The blonde turned to look at her, eyes wide. "Geez, you don't remember me, do you?"

"Not particularly," Emma replied, stuffing her phone into her jacket and moving a hand out to bop the stroller, since Alba was stirring.

"I'm sorry," the blonde laughed, sticking out her hand, "I'm Ashley. You must have just reminded me of someone."

Emma thought that that sounded like a giant lie, but she decided to go with it anyway, not wanting to confront this woman whom she'd probably never see again. "I must've," she agreed, eyeing Henry who was busy pushing a girl with blonde hair on the swing. She was laughing loudly, grinning down at him.

Ashley turned to gaze into the stroller. "Is that your daughter?"

Even when suspicious of a stranger, Emma could never help herself when it came to talking about her awesome daughter. "Yeah, this is Alba!" She bumped the stroller once more, letting it bop up and down as Alba seemed to come to it. It wasn't a long nap, but the sounds from the playground were probably waking her up.

"Maybe her and Alexandra will be friends someday," Ashley wistfully said, before pulling herself off the bench. "Anyway, we better get going. See you around." She waddled off towards the sandbox, greeting her daughter with a hug, and the guy with a sweet kiss.

Emma frowned, eyes scanning over the playground as she leaned back on the bench. It was so _calm_ out here; there were no sounds of cars or people angrily yelling. No loud music to disturb the sounds of children laughing and parents chatting; she could see the appeal, understand why some people chose this life instead of the big city. She could even understand why a woman like Regina would prefer this.

Alba started babbling louder in her stroller, and Emma picked her up, settling her happily on her lap and dangling a rattle in front of her face. "What's up Alba, huh. You wanna play with Ma, do you? Ma," Emma said, pointing towards herself with a saying glance, "Ma. Ma."

"Mama," Alba grinned, saliva spilling out of her mouth as she jumped slightly in her seat.

Emma grinned and pressed a kiss to her head. "Yes! Ma! Alba, you did it. I'm Ma!" She laughed loudly, tickling her daughter, who squealed and kicked her legs around. "I'm your Ma, yes, I am," Emma whispered, pressing several kisses to her daughter's face while she tickled her tummy.

"Mama," Alba repeated. "Mama. Mama."

A surge of so much love and care sped through her, and Emma almost wanted to call for Henry to hear this, to tell him, or to tell – _Regina._ She wanted to tell Regina about this magical moment where her daughter had finally said her first word – Mama. Emma found herself desperately wishing that she had someone to share it with; and not just someone. No. Regina. "My little baby," Emma whispered, nuzzling her nose to Alba's hair.

Alba laughed. "Mama," she said, and all of a sudden, Emma was covered in a spray of water, hitting her from seemingly out of nowhere.

Emma yelped, pulling back slightly to glance around, but there was no one nearby. She was _wet_ ; her hair was drenched, and her pants too, and Alba was grinning up at her from her lap, apparently not wet at all. Emma stared upwards, wondering if somehow a bunch of water had been collecting up there and suddenly spilled over. Maybe her body had shielded Alba from getting hit, too? She glanced down at her daughter. "What the fuck," she breathed, and Alba just laughed loudly in reply and kicked her legs.

—-

Regina spent the first part of the afternoon baking – not only because it was the first step in her plan to win Emma over, but also because it relaxed her when she needed to think – and now she was ready to go find Emma in her room at Granny's. She had not spoken to anyone about her plan to get Emma to stay, because she had decided to listen to Mulan's advice; not only did she admire how the other woman had dared to speak to her in such a way, but she appreciated it as well, because she was _right._ So Regina had only asked Ruby to text her when Emma and the kids returned back from their stroll around town, which the waitress had gladly done.

Granny let her pass right by the front desk, and Regina carefully climbed the stairs, balancing the container with the apple turnovers in one hand and carrying a bag with root beers in the other. The bag also held some of Henry's old comics that she'd decided to gift to the boy, as well as a knitted blanket for Alba. Apparently Granny had spent all of her free time while Regina was in New York, making it as a present for the baby. It resembled Emma's, and Granny had told Regina to give it to Alba as a present from her.

It truly surprised Regina just how much people in Storybrooke actually seemed to be _rooting_ for her. Not only did they want her to bring Emma back because she was the Saviour and they needed her, but they actually wanted her to bring Emma back so they could _be together._ It was such a strange feeling, having someone in her corner. She'd never really tried that in her life, not before Emma and Henry.

Regina knocked on the door to Emma's room and bit her lip nervously. Emma had basically told her to get lost earlier, and yet there she was, knocking on her door.

The padding of footsteps could be heard on the other side of the door, and as it swung open, it revealed Emma — _wearing nothing but panties and a white tank top._ Regina gulped, taking in the sight of the other woman. Her long legs were on display, and it looked like she might have taken a shower, because her hair was drying loosely around her shoulders, wetting her tank top in truly distracting places. What was it with this woman and answering the door in her underwear?

"Regina," Emma breathed with surprise, "what are you doing here?"

Regina forced to move her eyes to Emma's face and charmingly held out the tupperware container. "I have come to offer my apologies once more," she said.

Retrieving the container, Emma slid off the lid and hungrily stared down at the pastries. "Did you bake this?" she questioned, and there was a small smile on her face.

Humming, Regina explained. "It's my famous apple turnovers. I thought I owed you a decent dessert. I know how you like your sweets." She licked her lips at that, eyebrow raised, challenging. "The apples are from my own tree."

"Well, it looks delicious," Emma said and placed the lid back on the container. She paused, leaning herself against the door, "Wait - you have your own apple tree?"

Regina nodded, briefly lowering her gaze to Emma's arm – her bicep was straining as she leaned against the door, and it was thoroughly distracting - before meeting her eyes again. "Yes, I've tended to it since it was a little girl. Now it's in the backyard of Town Hall."

Emma watched her carefully. "And let me guess. Town Hall is the big ass white building not far from here?" She looked amused, like somehow she was partaking in an inside joke that Regina did not understand.

"Yes," Regina shifted slightly, the root beers clicking against each other in her bag, "as a matter of fact it is. Why do you ask?"

Huffing, Emma stood up straight. "No reason," she quickly brushed it off. Motioning towards the bag, she continued, "What do you have there?"

Regina offered Emma a warm smile, lips curling upwards. "Another part of my apology. There's root beer and presents for the kids."

Emma eyed her, "I'm not sure Henry deserves a present right now."

Feeling her face fall, Regina was about to accept that as enough for right now. Emma had accepted the pastry, and that was a start. "Well, you can just – take the bag, I guess," she breathed, slipping it off her shoulder to offer it to the blonde woman.

Something shifted in Emma's eyes, "Actually – I might need your help with something. Do you want to come in?"

Confused by this sudden change in attitude, Regina accepted immediately. She was not about to question it, and she stepped past Emma into the room and placed the bag on the small desk. It was one of Granny's bigger rooms – with a bedroom and a pull-out couch and a small table – and Alba was babbling away in a pull-up crib, while Henry seemed to sulk on the couch. His face lit up though, when he locked his eyes on her, and she offered him a secret smile. "Hi Alba," Regina muttered, stepping closer to the crib to gaze down at her daughter. She ran a hand over her hair, relishing the small contact. "So what do you need my help with?" she asked, not able to tear her eyes away from the baby.

Emma placed the container on the table as well and dug into her bag to pull out a pair of jeans. "Can you stay here while I run down to the front desk to see if they have any medicine for Lily?" She struggled to get her feet through the tight legs of the jeans, huffing slightly. "She's not getting any better, and if we want to get back tonight…" She trailed off, pulling on her jacket. "If they don't have any, I might need to run to the pharmacy, it might take a little while."

"I don't mind," Regina quickly said, reassuringly smiling at the blonde woman. "We'll be right here. I promise not to run off with more of your children, Emma. One time is enough for me."

It appeared to amuse Emma a bit, and she grabbed her keys and wallet from the table. "Would you check on Lily too? Henry's not allowed any television or games, he can just read." She slipped into her boots, not minding the laces.

Regina side-eyed her son, amused. "Doesn't he like reading?"

Shrugging, Emma went for the door. "If you want to…" She paused, one hand on the doorknob as she toed her boot on the floor. "…maybe we can all share those apple turnovers when I get back? So the kids can get their gifts," she added, eyes challenging Regina.

"That'd be great," Regina nodded, biting her lip to keep from smiling too enthusiastically, "for the kids."

Emma stared at her for a few seconds at that, a conflicted look in her eyes, before she eventually turned on her heel and closed the door behind her as she left. Henry leaped to his feet as son as the door smacked closed and wrapped his arms around her, happily burying his head in her side.

"Missed you," he whispered.

She brushed his hair back, "And I missed you." She pressed a kiss to his head, and he sheepishly fell back onto the couch. "No television, you heard what your mother said," she warned him, when she saw his eyes move slowly towards the remote control.

Henry groaned, "Really? You too?"

Regina gave him a stern look, before she moved towards the crib and reached to pick up Alba. Her daughter greeted her with open arms, laughing in high squeals as Regina kissed her cheeks repeatedly. "And I've missed you," she breathed as she snuggled Alba closer. "My little Alba."

"Moh, moh, mooh," Alba gurgled, kicking her legs.

"I'm teaching her that you're 'mom'," Henry proudly said.

Regina couldn't help the way her heart melted slightly at his words, even though it was a horrible idea to introduce that title to Alba right now when they had no idea what the future looked like. "Henry, if she calls me Mom, before she calls Emma Ma, Emma is going to be so-" she was cut off by a cry from the bedroom. She barely heard it through the closed door, but it sounded like Lily might need something. Regina deposited Alba on Henry's lap. "Watch her," she ordered, before she went into the bedroom, letting the door hang open behind her.

Lily was curled up in a little ball on the bed, blankets tangled around her and sweat glistening on her bare skin. The curtains were drawn shut, and there was a bucket on the floor next to her along with a bottle of water and some napkins. _This is not just car sickness,_ Regina thought to herself, eyes wide as she fell to her knees next to the other woman. "Lily," she softly said, grazing the tips of her fingers lightly across her forehead. Goodness, she was _burning up!_ "It's Regina, Emma just stepped out to buy you some medicine, okay?"

"Regina?" Lily groaned, blinking tiredly up at her with confusion marring her face.

"Yes," Regina softly whispered, nodding her head. She was suddenly feeling pretty worried about Lily; it seemed like this sickness had escalated from nothing to a lot of something pretty quickly. "Do you need anything? Water? Food?"

Lily shook her head, eyes glazed slightly over as she turned over, falling onto her back with a wheeze. She shuddered, pulled the blankets closer around herself and said, "Is it weird that I'm feeling _so hot_ but at the same time I'm shud- shuddering?"

Regina frowned. "It might be a fever."

"Not a fever," Lily coughed, "Doesn't feel like it. It's like, my blood is boiling, growing hotter as we speak."

Letting her eyes gaze over the younger woman, Regina tried to understand what she was seeing right now. There was something so familiar about the way Lily seemed to bend in on herself, and her skin was almost glittering with perspiration or something else entirely. Regina thought it almost looked – magical. "I'm sorry, I hope Emma will be back with medicine soon."

Lily's eyes graced over her, a moment of clarity, and she clenched her jaw. "Regina – Regina? I need to tell you something," she breathed, beckoning her closer with just her eyes. Regina somehow slipped closer to her, a hand on the bed frame. "When I entered the town, I sorta… I _remembered_ some- something, and, and, and then I started… feeling bad."

Brow furrowed, Regina urged her on. "What did you remember?"

"It's all real, isn't it?" Lily gasped. She reached a limp hand up to brush droplets of sweat away from her forehead. "What Henry said, it's all real. Fairytales are real."

Regina was not about to argue with her on that one, because she knew Henry had been trying to get Lily to remember too; convinced as he was, that she was also from their world. "Yes," she seriously replied.

"You – you're the Evil Queen," Lily offered a faint smile, "and Emma's Snow White's daughter."

"Yes," Regina agreed again.

Lily's eyes drooped closed momentarily, "I, I once met a man who told me…" She coughed, rolling onto her side once more.

Regina stared at her, letting her get it out as she did. She didn't really understand what had suddenly changed for Lily to make her believe, but apparently the rush of entering Storybrooke had done _something_ to her.

Breathing out, Lily continued, "He told me – I'm, I'm _Maleficent's daughter_." She coughed again, and before Regina even had time to reply to her, she was motioning for the bucket, "Gonna – gonna throw up. Bucket," she breathed.

Quickly pushing the bucket next to the bed, Regina grabbed Lily's arm to steady her as she bent over the side of the bed. She retched, body heaving, but instead of vomit hitting the bucket, a stream of licking flames sat it on fire. Lily yelped, pulling backwards despite her weakness, and Regina quickly waved her hand – thoroughly shocked, but then again, perhaps not really – and put the flames out. Lily breathed heavily, staring at Regina with wide eyes as the brunette turned to her with a faint smile.

"Maleficent's daughter, you said?" Regina commented, "I think I know exactly what's wrong with you."

Lily heaved again, like she was going to throw up once more – or, as Regina had come to realise, spew flames – and said. "Am I, am I gonna be OK?"

Regina pushed herself off the ground. "Quite," she firmly said, pulling the blankets off of the younger woman, "but first – we need to get you out of here." She turned to the door, sticking her head into the living room to her kids, "Henry, I'm taking Lily somewhere. I'll be right back, two minutes tops."

"Okay Mom," Henry dutifully said, barely looking up from where he was playing with Alba.

Turning back to Lily in the bed, who was still heaving, clearly scared of what might happen if she moved to throw up again, Regina grabbed her arm and transported them straight into the middle of Storybrooke's most deserted woods. As far away from the playground and cabins and the Toll Bridge as possible. Lily fell to the forest floor, watching her with wide eyes.

"What you're experiencing right now," Regina quickly said, rushing to explain herself, "is your magic kicking in after thirty years of being repressed. It might be a bit painful, but it has to come out, and you need to be as far away as possible from town when it does. The first time can be … tough to handle."

Lily's lips quivered, "What's happening to me?" She retched again, this time sending sparks of fire out through her nostrils.

Regina bit her lip. "I believe your inner dragon is struggling to break free after so long. Hopefully you shouldn't be able to turn without practice, but you're experiencing some side effects."

Eyes wide, Lily stared at her. "What?"

"I have to get back, but I'm bringing someone here to take care of you and make sure you're safe throughout." She paused, staring down at the confused brunette who was barely holding herself together. She felt a slight sense of guilt for having to leave her be, but she knew that it was the only way – she couldn't let Emma return to the room when Henry and Alba were alone; she was already on thin ice with the blonde. "Do you trust me?"

Lily took a second – but only one – to think about it. "Yes," she whispered, and Regina took that as confirmation enough. She transported herself to the diner, landing smack down in the middle, and surprising Ruby who was pouring coffee for Doc. The waitress yelped, spilling coffee all over the dwarf, who sniffled.

"Regina," she said, placing the pot on the counter.

"I need your help," Regina quickly breathed, and she grabbed Ruby's arm, transporting them to the forest without preamble. They appeared right next to Lily, who'd managed to scorch down some bushes in the meantime. "She knows, she's turning into a dragon. I need you to watch her," Regina quickly said.

Ruby blinked, "Oh fuck."

"Yeah," Lily agreed, blinking tiredly up at them from the ground. "And who are you? Sleeping Beauty? Cinderella?" She smiled weakly at them, still managing a bad joke.

Ruby kneeled down in front of her. "Little Red Riding Hood," she cheerily said, and she brushed Lily's hair back carefully, before turning to look at Regina with her trademark smile; showing all of her teeth. "Don't worry, Queenie, I've got her."

Regina huffed, "Don't call me that," she said, and then she was back in the room at Granny's, exiting the bedroom and closing the door behind her. "Everything good here?" she asked Henry as she sat down on the couch next to him, trying not to think too much about what had just been revealed within the last five minutes. She hadn't even known that Maleficent had a daughter. And she still needed to talk to Lily at some point to understand who had told her _anything._

Henry smiled up at her, "Sure, Mom. Everything's good. Is Lily okay?"

Tucking Alba into her own lap to savour the closeness as much as she could, Regina said, "Lily's a dragon. She's in the woods with the wolf. It'll be fine. Probably."

"That explains my dreams about Maleficent," Henry simply shrugged, before reaching for his discarded book on the table. "You did good, Mom," he promised with a sideways smile.

"Moh, moh, moh, mooooh," Alba happily agreed from her seat, brown eyes shimmering with mischief.

Regina pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead, and for the first time in a while, she actually felt like she had.

—-

When Emma returned to Granny's – after having run around the damn town in search of the pharmacy which _no one_ seemed to want to help her find – she was met with Regina and the kids waiting for her outside on the bench, bundled up in clothes and with their afternoon snacks in the bag.

"Lily needs space," Regina explained, sheepishly rolling Alba's stroller back and forth with one hand, "I thought we might give her some."

Emma stared down at the medication in her hand and figured that Lily might as well get to take it later. "Cool," she replied, ruffling Henry's hair, "were you good for Regina?"

He grinned, "Yeah! Let's go back to the park, Ma?"

"Sure thing, Kid," Emma murmured, and Henry set off down the pavement, while Emma fell into step next to Regina, who had taken to pushing the stroller effortlessly. She let her eyes travel over the brunette; appreciating the way she was so casually beautiful. She seemed content as well, to walk there with Emma and her kids, an afternoon trip to the park. "I uh, I met your friend Mary Margaret earlier."

Regina huffed. "Of course you did. Too nosey for her own good, isn't she?"

Emma held back a laugh. "I dunno," she casually said, sticking her hands into her pockets, "she seemed… nice." She paused, eyes trained on Henry as he walked a few paces in front of them, leading the way to the park, "I guess I can see why you like it here. People are… friendly."

"People know each other. It makes for a good environment." She steered the stroller effortlessly as they crossed the street towards the entrance of the park, "I've been asked to return as mayor. Mary Margaret has been filling in for me, but," she paused, biting her lip, "I guess they need a firmer hand than hers."

Not able to hide the disappoint that surged through her body at that, Emma said, "I can imagine that you'd make an awesome mayor."

Regina blinked. "I do try."

Emma was quiet for a few seconds, as they steered towards the benches that they'd occupied earlier for their lunch, "I have to admit though…" She swallowed, "I was a bit bummed when you didn't want to come back to New York."

"You were?" She sounded surprised.

Emma shrugged. "I guess I'd just hoped that I might have been worth it to you – fighting just one more time to see if what we had could really be as amazing as we thought it could." She paused, daring a glance down at the other woman, who was pushing the stroller with determination, "Fighting for me."

Regina paused abruptly and turned to stare at her. "What do you think I'm doing right now?" she lowly murmured, and her eyes shone with such honesty that Emma felt it all the way into her bones.

They continued walking at that, and Emma contemplated everything that happened in the last few days. No matter how angry she'd been with Regina – and that anger was slowly and steadily fading – she couldn't deny that she still cared for her, _deeply._ The way she'd been gradually falling in love with the other woman back in New York hadn't left her body; she still felt it, all the way into her core. And she had no idea how to deal with it when it was mixed with anger and disappointment. But perhaps Regina could prove herself once more. It definitely seemed like she was trying to. The blonde chanced a glance at her once more. "Alba said 'mama' today."

Pausing, Regina stopped pushing the stroller and turned to look at Emma with honest surprise in her eyes. "She did?" Her lips broke into a huge smile. "Emma, that's so great!" She let go of the handle and wrapped her arms around Emma, taking the blonde completely by surprise.

Emma chuckled and awkwardly patted her back. "Yeah, it was… sudden," she whispered, pulling back. "But I found myself wanting to share it with you, I guess."

"I'm honoured to hear those news," Regina honestly replied, before she turned back to the stroller and pushed it the rest of the way to the benches that Henry had already claimed.

They set everything up neatly; the pastries, napkins, a bottle for Alba and root beers. Henry and Regina even surprised her by producing a thermos of hot chocolate from Granny's. Regina had Alba on her lap and happily fed her the bottle, while Emma and Henry dug into the apple turnovers with gusto. Emma swore she'd never taste anything _quite_ this amazing, and she was usually not too fond of sweets if they were mixed with fruit. _Why ruin a good thing?_ was her motto, but damn, these apples were good.

"Do you guys like it?" Regina asked, and Emma could just tell that it was of the utmost importance to her that they did.

Henry nodded, gulping down hot chocolate. "Yeah!"

Emma chewed and swallowed. "It's really awesome. You're really great in the kitchen. I still have vivid dreams about your mac and cheese," she joked, wriggling her eyebrows. She tried not to notice too much just how perfectly normal and nice this entire thing felt, because if she did, she'd just be even more bummed that it wasn't going to last.

"I know you told me this already, but what sort is your tree?" Henry asked with curiosity.

"Honey crisp," Emma and Regina replied simultaneously, and Emma paused, not really sure where that came from. Had Regina ever told her about that? It seemed like something she might remember subconsciously. She shrugged and returned to her pastry.

Regina eyed her curiously. "Anyway," she continued, using her free hand to dig into her bag, "these comics are for you, Henry," she said and pulled out three comics for him to see. "They used to be my son's."

Henry stared down at them with true happiness. "Thank you, Regina! You're _awesome_!"

"And this is for Alba," Regina continued, pulling out a wrapped present from the bag as well. She slid it across the table to Emma, and continued, "I figured you might be the one to open it for her."

Emma always felt like such a child whenever she received presents – perhaps it was because she'd never really gotten to experience the true feeling as a kid – and she eagerly tore the bow and the wrapping off, shredding it to pieces. At first she was confused about what she saw – at was white, soft and _knitted_ – but as she turned it over, she realised what it was. There, on the corner of the piece of cloth, was written _Alba_ in red cursive letters. The lining was laced with red as well, effectively making this blanket – because it was a blanket – into something that reminded Emma a lot about the blanket she had stored in the back of her closet at home. She felt tears well up in her eyes as she glanced up at Regina. _How_ did this woman manage to make something so right when Emma had _never_ told her about the only possession she had from her parents who had given her up?

Regina offered her an insecure smile. "I had it made for her – it's getting colder now, so I figured it'd be nice for her. Do you like it?"

"Regina, I _love_ it," Emma whispered, fingers tracing across the beautifully stitched _A_ as it stood out against the white wool. "It's perfect. I think – she's gonna treasure this _forever_."

Pleased, Regina stared down at Alba in her arms, "I'm glad. I made the right choice then."

Sliding off the bench and around the table, Emma wrapped her arms around Regina from behind. "Thank you," she breathed softly, squeezing the older woman as well as she could, and letting her chin rest on her shoulder as she gazed down at Alba in her arms. She breathed her in, Regina's shampoo and the woman's own scent, uniquely Regina, and it ached inside of her, the urge to be close to her again, to forget what had happened and move _forward_ from there – to that place in the future, that place where they could be something truly amazing, all four of them.

She knew Regina felt it too, she could sense it in the way that other woman's breath seemed to hitch and the way she melted into Emma like it was second nature. Regina pulled the bottle out of Alba's mouth, and the girl grinned happily up at them.

"Mama," she said, kicking her legs, "Mooh - mooh."

Emma stared at Regina in surprise, not able to hold back a laugh. That one was _new_ – was she trying to imitate a cow? Emma reached a hand forward and rubbed Alba's belly happily. "You're a mooh-mooh," she chuckled.

"Look," Henry suddenly gasped, and Emma turned her eyes upward only to realise that Henry was pointing at them, because _she, Regina and Alba were surrounded by floating bubbles._ "Where did they come from?"

Alba giddily laughed, pointing her finger up and accidentally bursting a bubble, and Regina stared around them in surprise, a truly awed expression on her face. "Bubbles," she murmured, before her eyes fell to Alba once more, brow furrowed.

Emma stared around them, trying to locate the source. "Someone must have blown a lot of bubbles earlier, huh," she commented, before she went around the table and reclaimed her seat next to Henry.

Regina was still staring down at Alba in wonder when she murmured, "Yes, I guess someone must have."

* * *

A/N: Who here figured that Alba would possess magic? Of course she would, she's Regina and Emma's child! And I figured almost everybody had guessed that Lily would turn into a dragon eventually, so there you guys have it! I hope you liked it, and thanks for reading! Once more, I'd like to remind you that I can be found on twitter and tumblr at stessafanfic


	20. Chapter Twenty: Believing Again

**CHAPTER TWENTY – BELIEVING AGAIN**

Lily carefully made her way up the narrow staircase at Granny's, fingers trailing across the banister as she tiredly dragged her feet. Her entire body was drained from all energy, and Ruby – the amazingly cute waitress from the diner – had basically had to carry her home from the woods. Lily tried to hide her grin when she thought of Ruby's dazzling smile and the way she'd patiently been beside Lily all afternoon as she scorched down bushes, trees and underbrush. Ruby had barely batted an eyelash, told her that it was all going to be okay once the magic had entered her system, and at least she _knew_ she was a dragon now, so it's not like she'd accidentally eat her boyfriend or anything.

Lily had laughed and wheezed out _girlfriend, it'd be girlfriend,_ and prompted Ruby to tell her that story. So apparently Little Red Riding Hood _was_ the wolf and the cloak was a precaution. Those fairytales Lily had grown up with were definitely wrong in many aspects, which was why she had no troubles accepting the fact that she actually liked Regina too, even with her being the Evil Queen and all.

She carefully slid the door to their room open, hoping that Emma was already sleeping. She'd texted her earlier, knowing that she'd be worried, and told her that she'd been starting to feel better and had gone for a walk and some fresh air. She just wanted to crawl into bed beside her best friend and try to catch some sleep now that she was finally starting to feel better. She was going to have to learn to control herself in her dragon form eventually, and there was _no way_ she was leaving Storybrooke to go back to her life in New York with her shitty apartment and her stupid job at the baby store, not when she'd finally found a place where she felt like she _made sense._

Closing the door behind her, Lily kicked off her dirty socks – she'd had no shoes on her feet all day – and breathed out. She could do this. She could somehow convince Emma to stay a little while longer and eventually they'd never leave. She really wanted to get to know Ruby better too; Ruby, whose eyes had lit up beautifully when Lily had uttered the word 'girlfriend'.

"Aunt Lily?" Henry softly whispered, head poking up from his pillow on the pull-out couch. "Is that you?"

"Just me, kiddo," Lily muttered and padded across the floor on her bare feet. She fell into the couch next to him, gently brushing his legs to the side as she took a seat.

Henry's eyes were wide, but crusted with sleep as he said, "Are you okay?"

Brushing a hand over his shoulder, Lily nodded. "Yeah, I am." She paused, offered him a small smile, "Ruby from the diner took care of me, and Regina," she paused, brow furrowed, "your _mom_ , I guess? – she came to find me earlier to explain everything to me."

Henry's eyes watched her carefully as he whispered, "Did she tell you that my ma killed your mom?"

Lily nodded stiffly, breath hitching in her throat as she did. Regina had told her everything about that, how Emma had faced her mother in her dragon form beneath the city, and that she'd done it to save Henry, and even though it sucked because she'd dreamt her whole life of meeting her real mom, she couldn't find it in herself to be mad about it. Not when Henry was sitting right in front of her, and she was in _Storybrooke_ , and she had Emma and Alba, too, and she'd just met Ruby, and maybe she'd finally find a place to call home. "Yeah, yeah, she did, Henry."

"Are you gonna yell at her?" Henry asked, and for the first time in a while, he truly looked like a little kid to her.

She shook her head and wrapped an arm around him, pressing a kiss to his hair. "No," she whispered, "we're probably gonna have to talk about it once Emma remembers everything, but… I'm not gonna yell at her. I might yell at bit at her parents, but I figure that _none_ of this is Emma's fault."

Henry snuggled into her embrace, "My grandparents did what they thought was best. It was stupid, and it ruined your life. Do you think you can forgive them? They're usually really good people. Heroes."

"I know, Henry," Lily whispered, and she had no idea how she was going to deal with Snow White and Prince Charming, but she knew for sure that she was going to try. For Henry's sake. For Emma and Alba's sakes. For her own sake, even. "But before all of that, we're going to have to work on your ma, yeah? We gotta stay here."

Pulling back from her, Henry seriously said, "It doesn't matter if she's gonna try to leave, she won't be able to. No one who belongs here can. Not without coming back."

Lily bit her lip. "Well, don't you think it'd be way cooler if she decided not to try to leave anyway?"

"Yeah!"

"So we gotta make sure that she wants to stay. Your moms belong together, kiddo," Lily honestly said, and for the first time since she'd reconnected with Emma, she truly and honestly believed that. Some part of her had always hoped that Emma could bring her happiness – and she realised now that that probably had more to do with Snow White and Prince Charming's decisions back in the Enchanted Forest than any real feelings for Emma – but not anymore. She could finally imagine a life where she would always be cool Aunt Lily, and watch as Regina and Emma got married someday.

Henry grinned at her, "Are you going to help me?"

"For sure," Lily promised him, before pressing another kiss to his hair. "But now you gotta sleep, and so do I, so get to it." She patted his arm again and pulled herself off the couch. She made sure that he was tucked in his covers, eyes shut, before she pushed the door to the bedroom open and slipped inside.

The lamp beside Emma's head was turned on, and Lily carefully discarded all of her clothing – all the way down to her panties – before fishing out a clean shirt from her bag and pulling it on. Emma was sleeping restlessly in the bed, fist clenched in the sheet and brow furrowed even in her dreams. Lily thought that it was a reasonable outlet for all of the things that had been happening the last couple of days, and she tried climbing into bed as quietly as possible, but before she managed to lie down, Emma bolted up, back ramrod straight, and eyes wide.

"Wow," Lily surprisingly hissed, hand coming out to touch Emma's shoulder gently, "calm down, Swannie."

Emma breathed, chest rising and falling rapidly as she turned her head to stare at Lily with wide, green eyes. "Are you just now getting back?"

Lily settled herself comfortably against the headboard, torso turned towards Emma. "Yeah," she hummed, awkwardly scratching the side of her head. "I uh, I hung out with the waitress from the diner for a bit. Ruby, she's – she's really awesome."

Emma curiously gave her a once-over. "You feel a lot better then?"

"I'm not sure I'll be able to head back tomorrow," Lily quickly said, eyes wide. "I might still have a slight fever. Better stay a few days."

Suspicious eyes fell on her face, and Lily was pretty sure that Emma's bullshit-detector was going off the charts at the moment. "Alright," the blonde whispered, falling back slightly on the mattress, "Better stay a few days then," she acquiesced.

Lily bit her lip to keep herself from smiling. Emma _wanted_ to stay a few more days, that was for sure. She'd spent the afternoon with Regina, the brunette had told her, and apparently it wasn't just Regina who had felt like the meeting had gone well. Lily thought Regina deserved some time with her family, even if a part of them weren't aware exactly what they were to each other. And Lily was determined to make sue that they found out. "Cool," she said, getting herself comfortable. "I really like it here though. So what did you do today?"

Emma folded her hands behind her head, pensive. "Uh, went to the park." She turned her head upwards, meeting Lily's eyes, "Weird shit happened all day. There were bubbles from out of nowhere, and I could've _sworn_ that Alba ate all her arroz con leche, but somehow the jar kept being full?"

"Sounds like magic," Lily offhandedly commented as she fluffed her pillow.

A snort escaped Emma's lips. "Yeah, it actually does." She hummed. "This entire town seems like something out of a goddamned fairytale, huh."

Lily smiled smugly to herself. Casual, she could do casual. "Maybe Henry's right."

"Don't you start with me now," Emma grumbled and turned slightly over on her side.

It was like poking a sleeping bear, and it was late, so Lily figured she'd better stop while she was still ahead of the game. She turned on her side as well. "So weird and crazy dream?" she prodded.

"Yeah," Emma whispered, happily settling into a safer topic. Her blonde hair cascaded across the bed in a tangle as she got comfortable. "It was another dream about me and Regina. We were fighting about Henry, I think? And that strange woman Mary Margaret was there with her husband as well. I think." She licked her lips, staring straight up into the ceiling, and Lily watched her closely, "We were all _he's my son – no he's not he's mine –_ and I was _so pissed_ at her."

With a beating heart that Lily was afraid that Emma would be able to hear in the quietness of the bedroom, she asked, "And then what happened?"

Emma wetted her lips once more, "But the crazy thing is, it felt like he _was_ , you know? That he was both of ours. Henry, I mean. Even with my anger, I felt it."

"…so how did it end?"

"Regina pushed me," Emma whispered, hand coming up to rub tiredly at her face, "maybe? I don't know. She was a bit far away, but…" She trailed off, tilting her head to lock eyes with Lily, "I flew at least five feet backwards – through the air. It was insane." She paused, cheekily, "Kinda like magic too, huh."

Lily was pretty sure that that had probably been a memory along with all of the other strange dreams Emma had been having since they arrived in Storybrooke, which meant that somehow it was getting to her – even through her stubborn non believing façade – and so she offered her best friend a sideways smile, "Weird."

"So what do you think it means?" Emma wondered aloud.

Lily chuckled lowly, "It means that you're angry with her, which is totally cool," she explained, hand coming out to brush Emma's stomach softly through the sheet, "but it also means that you wanna be with her."

"What," Emma huffed, "no, I don't."

Rolling her eyes, Lily said, "Yes you do."

Emma glared at her. "She _kidnapped_ my son. Basically."

"But she's also fantastic, and she made a bad judgment call," Lily tried to defend Regina; her actions now making even more sense to her. Lily could only begin to imagine the amount of desperation and frustration Regina had had to deal with the last couple of months. She so wanted to help change the outcome for her; to help her get her family back.

The blonde huffed. "She's staying in Storybrooke," she argued, like that was the only reason that they were not going to be together.

Lily chuckled again, truly amused by Emma's attempts to deny her feelings for the former Evil Queen. She fluffed her pillow, tucking her arms around it. "Try all you might to deflect, but I know what's up."

"What," Emma grumbled, getting comfortable on her pillow as well.

"You're in love with her, and you might as well accept it," Lily offered lightly, pointedly. "Turn off the bed lamp, yeah? And sleep tight," she finished, before she rolled onto the other side, and tried to hide her amused chuckles at Emma's grumpy huffs and puffs.

—

It was seriously so fucking strange, this town. Not that Emma didn't like it, because people were insanely friendly, but odd things seemed to happen. The old woman at the diner – Granny she insisted Emma call her – had known exactly what breakfast Henry and Emma wanted without them having to say, and she'd offered keeping an eye on Henry as he went over some homework his teacher had sent him now that he was missing school. He only had his iPad and none of his textbooks, but Emma thought that served him right for being a lying sneak.

Lily wanted to stay in the diner as well – and Emma saw her making moon eyes to the brunette waitress in the insanely short miniskirt, which, _good_ for Lily – so she and Alba decided to explore some more of this small town, where she was seriously beginning to wonder if magic was real. This morning, there had been bubbles floating around their hotel room, and Henry swore that he hadn't made them _and he hadn't been lying_. For some reason there had still been arroz con leche left in the small jar, and it seriously felt like the delicious food was never-ending, and Alba had munched away happily, only throwing one small fit when Emma tried to get a green beanie onto her head to keep her warm.

She stepped onto the sidewalk with every intent on going to the park again to circle the lake, but for some odd reason she felt a desire to _not do that_ when she started walking. Actually, for some reason, she seemed to be tugged in a very specific direction, and if she squinted slightly, she thought she almost saw a red hue sort of directing her towards another part of town; the inhabited part of town with houses and front yards where she hadn't had time to go yesterday.

Alba laughed happily in the stroller, muttering her two new favourite words repeatedly – _Mama_ and _mooh-mooh_ – as Emma pushed the stroller almost on instinct. She walked aimlessly, letting herself be guided. She squinted. She was _pretty_ sure it was just a trick of the light, but it almost looked like some kind of fog.

She paused when a car marked _Sheriff_ pulled up next to her by the curb, that dashingly handsome man she'd seen Mary Margaret with in her dream – and who she just knew was her husband – jumping out of the car to greet her.

"Emma, hey," he smiled, tucking his hands into his pockets as he leaned himself against the hood of the car.

She didn't even want to ask how he knew her name, because _of course_ he did. This was Storybrooke. "Hey," she motioned towards the car, smile dangling on her lips, "Sheriff, huh?"

He shook his head. "Nope, Deputy Sheriff actually, but the Sheriff has been incapacitated lately, so I'm just covering up for her." He scratched his cheek, eyes falling to Alba in the stroller. "I'm David, by the way," he offered as he leaned forward to get even closer to the baby, "And you're Alba, aren't you?"

Alba answered by giggling loudly and kicking her legs beneath the blanket. Emma stared down at her, pausing briefly when her eyes settled on the beanie. She could have _sworn_ she had dressed her in a green one, but now it was a red one? Had she just imagined that. Emma frowned. _I must have imagined that._ The red one was good though. Alba looked cute as a button, and her ears weren't cold, so Emma was pleased. It was kind of strange however, because did Alba even own a red beanie?

David stood up straight. "Cute hat," he commented with a wink.

"This is my daughter." Emma said, tearing her eyes away from the beanie, "and you're… _Mary Margaret's_ husband, aren't you? I met her yesterday."

David nodded eagerly. "Yeah, I am. And she mentioned that."

Emma stuck her hands into the pockets of her jacket and rolled on her feet. "So uh, not much sheriffing to do in this town, is there?"

"It can be surprisingly hectic in some periods," David answered, and his eyes were glistening slightly, as if they were sharing some inside joke – except this joke, Emma knew nothing about it. "Are you going by Regina's?" he questioned next, motioning slightly towards a large, white house a little further down the street.

With a surprised – and yet not surprised at all – grunt, Emma said, "Yeah, I guess I am." She placed her hands on the stroller again. Of course she would have somehow walked to Regina's home on instinct, because where else would she be? "Speaking of, I better get to it."

David gave a curt nod and moved to open the door to the car. "See you around, Emma," he smiled, before he slipped inside.

"Probably," Emma huffed, before she turned the stroller in the direction of the hugest house on the street. Now _this_ looked like what Emma had imagined Regina to live in; not that small apartment in New York City. This screamed Regina much louder, and as she opened the gate and strolled up the walkway, she felt slightly taken aback by the grandness of this house, mansion even. It was _that_ big. Not to mention the fact that this was exactly the front porch she'd dreamt about last night; down to the number on the door and the placements of the bushes. What was even going on anymore?

Emma guided the stroller onto the porch and pressed the doorbell. She fussed slightly with her hair in the glass window, suddenly worried that she looked like someone who had spent the better part of the night tossing and turning because of dreams, and she was _nervous,_ nervous because this was Regina, and maybe Lily was even onto something, even though it was stupid. _I hope I look okay._

Alba laughed and Emma glanced down at her. Her eyes were huge and round, and she had the most self-satisfied look on her face that Emma had ever seen on her. Her eyes were almost sparkling and she laughed again, kicking her legs. Somehow her beanie was now back to green, and had Emma just imagined the red one? Maybe it had been the light.

"Or maybe it was really fucking magic," Emma mumbled to herself beneath her breath, and she was surprised by how unsurprised she was by the thought. Maybe this town really was somehow magical if she was starting to think it could be.

The door was opened, and Emma looked up to find Regina staring at her with a look of mild surprise on her face that quickly morphed into one of pure joy. "Emma," she greeted, eyes shining happily, "come in, come in." She stepped back, opening the door fully and allowing Emma to clumsily push the stroller inside.

"Mooh-mooh," Alba greeted, grinning up at Regina, who quickly picked the baby up and pressed a kiss to her cheek before nestling her against her chest.

"Hi Alba," she whispered, and her eyes were filled with so much love that Emma's heart swelled. Regina turned to her, amused. "Why are you wearing a flower in your hair?"

Emma turned, quickly casting a look at herself in the hallway mirror – and if Regina wasn't right. There, tucked behind her ear, was a sunflower. Completely out of season, and definitely not put there by Emma herself. "What," she grumbled, confused, "it must've… blown there or something," she commented, raising her hand to pull it off.

Regina's hand on hers stopped her. "No, don't… it suits you," she argued, casting a glance down at Alba again. "Come on, I was just making some tea."

Following Regina into the kitchen, Emma took notice of the beautiful surroundings; somehow entirely fitting of Regina. She slipped onto a barstool and Regina moved around the kitchen effortlessly; Alba on her hip while she prepared two cups of tea. She sat them down on the counter and slipped onto a chair as well, settling Alba on her lap. Emma immediately warmed her hands on the cup, suddenly feeling slightly shy as she stared at the beautiful woman across from her. "So uh… nice home you've got here."

"Thank you," Regina said, cheek pressed to Alba's hair, "It's a bit big now that it's just me, but hopefully it will be filled with more life again someday."

Emma took a sip of her tea, not minding that she burned her tongue.

"So what brings you here?" Regina questioned, curiously letting her eyes scan over Emma's body; the blonde felt it all the way into her bones, the way her eyes caressed her and drank her in. It was a feeling that she'd only ever experienced when Regina looked at her, and she was never going to grow tired of the tingles the brunette's eyes left behind in their wake.

However, she pondered Regina's question. What did bring her here? There was only _so many things_ Emma kept obsessing over in her head, because _none_ of it made any sense to her, and she could only _keep obsessing_ over it for such a while. Setting her cup back down, Emma blurted, "Explain it to me. Explain to me _one more time_ what is going on, because I really want to understand, Regina. Please be honest."

If she was surprised by the request, Regina didn't show it. Instead she raised her cup to her lips, sipping the tea daintily, without a doubt buying herself some time. She sat the cup back down. "Emma, if I am going to be truly honest with you, with no conditions, then you need to open your mind and believe."

"Believe in what?" Emma questioned, heart beating rapidly inside of her chest. She felt that it was drawing closer, was within her grasp, the truth.

"Believe in magic," Regina whispered, face soft as she glanced at Emma carefully. "In fairytales. In something more."

Emma bit her lip. It all sounded absolutely crazy in her ears, and there Regina was – a grown-ass woman – telling her to believe in things that only existed in stories. But damnit, if Emma didn't _want_ to believe. Maybe not in magic or fairytales or something more. But she wanted to believe in _her,_ in Regina. The incredible woman who was sitting in front of her, watching her with curved lips and shimmering eyes. Emma breathed out. "Okay. Okay, I'll try."

And she wanted to try because of strange encounters, of bubbles, of rice never-ending and beanies changing colour. She wanted to try, because if magic wasn't real, she was making up crazy things inside of her head, and she'd much rather try to open her mind than to go down that road.

A satisfied smile appeared on Regina's lips. She seemed to collect herself, and Emma watched her carefully, drinking in her short brunette hair and the way her red lips pursed slightly. She had not come into this house intending to talk about this again, but something had made her blurt it out. This morning, Henry had told her to _open her mind_ , and what was that even? Everyone around her acted like she was the one who was supposed to do something different, and now, sitting in front of Regina, it just occurred to her that maybe they were right.

So she was going to try that open mind thing and _listen_ to Regina. The other woman seemed more at ease in this town than she had in New York; she seemed more relaxed, familiar with her surroundings, and Emma thought she saw a change in her, a poise and determination that she had not noticed before. And damn, it looked good on her.

Regina breathed out heavily, gathering herself. "This entire town is from another realm," she explained, fingers tangling in Alba's hair as she absentmindedly ran them through it. "It was cursed here. _I_ cursed it here, many years ago. That doesn't really matter now however, the important thing is that our realm has more magic than this one. We don't call this the Land Without Magic for nothing." She paused, taking a sip of her tea as Emma took in the first part of her story. "In our realm, magic is quite common. Not everyone has the power to _produce_ it, but it can come in many forms, and – and what I've been trying to tell you, what Henry's been trying to tell you, is that _you_ are from this place, Emma. You're from our realm, you just don't remember, because your memories were taken away to protect you from a curse."

Furrowing her brow, Emma almost wanted to slip off her chair and grab Alba and go. It sounded _so_ ridiculous; magic, powers, curses. What did Regina take her for? But on the other hand… something made her stay seated on that barstool, because some part of her opened up to the possibility that _this_ might be true. That maybe Regina was right, and maybe there was magic, and maybe that explained why everyone in this town seemed to know her even though she'd never seen them before in her life.

"Are you with me so far?" Regina softly questioned, worried.

Emma nodded. "I think so."

"Good," Regina nodded, slipping her hand onto the table, rubbing her fingers together, "because look," she softly finished.

Emma's eyes fell to her hand on the table, and it almost felt like her eyes were about to pop right out of her head. _There were bubbles._ Bubbles appearing in thin air, right over Regina's palm; bubbles floating into the space between them and soaring towards the ceiling, filling the kitchen with splashes as they popped. Alba's eyes trailed them, brown curiously following a bubble as it floated in front of her, mouth opening, forming a perfect 'o' with pink gums on display. Emma felt her own green eyes follow another bubble as it merged with a smaller one and the both of them popped. She gasped and looked down at Regina's hand, now limp against the kitchen counter. "You're – but how – _bubbles_ ," she groaned.

Regina offered her an amused smirk. "I did not produce the bubbles yesterday, if you're curious, but – as you can see – I _can_ produce magic. In fact, I was there when the curse took your memories away a year and half ago, and to protect you and Henry I supplied you with new ones."

Not quite sure how to actually answer any of what Regina said, Emma simply stared at her. She couldn't _deny_ the evidence right in front of her face, and Regina had produced those bubbles – there was not a doubt in her mind about that. But what did it mean? It still sounded ridiculous that there were other realms where magic was normal, and that _she_ was from there. She thought she would have known if she was from some other place – if Henry was! She swallowed loudly, locking her eyes with Regina's shiny brown ones. "I'm so confused right now."

"That's okay."

"Does this mean you and I knew each other from before?" Emma whispered, holding onto the one part of this that made the most sense; that she and Regina were familiar. There was nothing magical about that, just a connection between the two of them. A connection that had possibly transcended magic and curses and made itself known even in New York. It would certainly explain why she'd been attached to Regina from day one.

Regina rested her chin gently on Alba's head, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Yes. That's why I made those potions for you – to get you to remember me. To remember it all."

Emma furrowed her brow. "But I drank that!"

"I think it's quite possible that your lack of belief made it so that the potion didn't work on you," Regina softly replied, her eyes clouding over. She withdrew her hand from the table and tucked it safely over Alba's belly.

With a pause, realisation hit Emma. "It worked on Henry, didn't it? He remembers everything. That's why he's here!"

Regina whispered, "Yes."

"Oh my God," Emma breathed, slipping off the barstool to pace back and forth in the big kitchen. "I'm so confused right now. I mean, I saw it – bubbles! You made bubbles!" She pointed at Regina, running a hand through her hair. It caught on that damn sunflower and she pulled it out and threw it on the counter. "Magic. How is magic real. How is any of this real. Are fairytales real? Like Henry said?" She stopped pacing, staring expectantly at Regina as her rant came to an end.

Alba's eyes were fixated in the discarded sunflower on the table. "Mooh-mooh," she demanded, banging a fist to the table.

Regina reached for the flower and offered it to the baby. "Fairytales are real. Not as you know them, but they're real," she said, while rolling the flower between her fingers to make it twirl for Alba. "There's many things you need to know, it would have been easier if you remembered everything, and I still hope you will somehow, but I think you need to get used to all of this first."

Emma leaned herself against the counter. On one hand she wanted to know everything right now, because she figured that there was much more to the story, considering everything that had happened the last couple of months, but on the other hand she just needed to let everything settle in her mind because _Regina_ was able to do magic, and Henry hadn't been acting up for nothing, and maybe this meant that everything she knew was a lie, and how could she just deal with that? "I think that-"

She was cut off by a loud banging on the door, and she and Regina stared briefly at each other, before Regina slipped off the barstool and pushed Alba into Emma's arms. "Wait here for a second," she murmured, before she crossed the kitchen floor, high heels clicking, and went into the hallway.

Emma glanced down at Alba as she heard murmurs coming from the hallway. If she and Henry were from another realm, it had to mean that Alba was too? But she _remembered_ being pregnant with Alba; those memories weren't hazy like a lot of her older memories were. Actually, the days being pregnant with Alba in New York were some of the clearest memories in her mind. Yet, there was still some things about Alba's conception that were very unclear to her, and perhaps that was a part of everything, too.

At the sound of footsteps, Emma looked up from Alba's grinning face, only to realise that Regina had invited her guest into the kitchen with them. Regina looked nervous as she held her hands in front of her stomach, and the woman she'd brought with her appeared to take in the surroundings with a sort of amazed awe. Her wild mane of red hair went all the way to her butt, and she was dressed in a blue dress and with a bow and quiver, as well as a small, bulgy satchel, thrown over her shoulder. Emma gaped at her. _Was that Merida?_ She remembered Henry obsessing over this movie a few years back.

"'Ello mate, ya' must be Emma, ay?" she greeted with a giant smile on her face.

"You're – you're – you're _Brave_ ," she murmured, blinking at her before looking at Regina. Was she going insane?

Regina seemed to bite back a small smile. "This is Merida," she offered, gesturing towards the redhead, "a friend from back home who helped me when I needed to get back to you."

Merida grinned. "I'm not that brave, lass, but thank ya'."

Emma sighed and rested herself against the barstool again. "I need a drink."

"It's only 11am, dear," Regina dryly chuckled as she took a seat on the stool she had earlier occupied. "Merida, please take a seat and explain to me one more time how you're here."

"Aye," Merida replied, and Emma watched her in amusement for a second, as the redhead struggled to get comfortable on the chair. "What is this contraption," she murmured below her breath, before she rested against the counter, arms crossed. "I came here by bean, Regina, one of those magic ones. I stole it from Captain Hook to come find ya'."

Regina made a disgusted face. "What is the rum-soaked pirate up to now?"

Merida's eyes were wide as she said, "He wants my father's helm, ya' know! Fergus threw it in the lake before the battle with Camelot, but now that bloody captain wants to steal it to win his own battles and keep the skin on his back." She shook her head in defeat, brow furrowed and eyes fiery.

"What helm is this?" Regina asked, and Emma could do nothing but follow the conversation in the best way possible, because not only was Merida sitting in front of her, but they were talking about Camelot and Captain Hook, and when had this become her life? Oh right, about ten minutes ago.

"This helm, aye," Merida explained, fishing out a helm that had been stored in the satchel on her back, "The Enchanted Helm. It makes other men fight yer battles for ya'. That pirate is a no-good man, I tell ya', and now that Fergus is gone, I have to keep the Kingdom of DunBroch safe."

Regina leaned forward with a sigh, taking the helm from Merida's hands to inspect it more clearly. "And you brought it here? Why?"

Merida straightened her back. "Well I need yer help to defeat the bloody pirate, don't I? If the helm's here, he's right behind it, isn't he."

"He does have an uncanny talent for staying alive," Regina grumbled, placing the helm back on the counter. She eyed Emma warily, lips pursed. "But what does he want with your kingdom?"

"Gold. Treasures. Everyone's eager to see me fail, 'cause I'm a woman, ya' see?" Merida explained, brushing a stray curl behind her ear. "They don't think I can do it, so I need to _show_ them, I need to prove that I can fight, aye?"

Regina slipped off the stool, a pensive look on her face. "Alright. I do owe you for helping me with the beans and the ingredients." She stepped towards the cupboard and pulled down a glass. As she filled it with water, she glanced worriedly at Emma, clearly not sure whether or not she should include the blonde in this.

Emma wasn't sure whether or not she should be included in this either, because as far as she knew right now, she wouldn't be much help against fairytale characters and magical pieces of armour. Perhaps she would have been before, but what good did that do her now. She offered Regina a tentative smile though, not sure if she should leave or stay, but also just really wanting to wrap her head around the things she'd just been told.

Merida offered Regina a curt "Thank ya'," when the brunette sat the glass of water down in front of her.

Regina reclaimed her seat on the stool and wrapped her hands around her cup of tea. "Mulan's in town, too, she could be a real asset if it comes to a fight. Though I doubt he'd be foolish enough to take me on again. When do you reckon he'll be here?"

Merida shrugged. "He's not that far behind on that bloody ships of his."

Emma slipped off the stool at that, finally deciding that she had gotten enough for now. Her head was swimming with information; she was practically drowning in it, and she needed to catch her breath. She had Alba gathered in her arms and they both smiled at Regina; Alba happily and Emma a bit more faintly. "I sense that this is some kind of emergency and now's really not the time for us to finish our conversation." She sighed, tucking Alba closer to her chest. All of these impressions were getting the better of her – magic, curses, fairytales, _other realms_ \- and she just wanted to lie down for a second, close her eyes and let it all settle. "I should probably get back to Granny's."

"We need all the hands we can get," Merida offered, eyes full of questions.

Regina smiled sadly at Emma, "Emma doesn't know everything. The potion didn't work on her."

Merida's face fell. "Oh bloody hell," she muttered.

Regina reached a hand forward and gently tucked Emma's inside her own. "I'm sorry to cut this short. But if you're staying, I'd like to take you out tonight. So we can, you know, _talk_." She squeezed her hand, a nervous smile playing at the edge of her lips.

"I'd like that. We're – we're staying," Emma murmured, decision made instantly. _At least for now_ , she figured, although she didn't need to voice that to Regina. She squeezed the other woman's hand back in reassurance, relishing the feeling of her hand around hers; the tingling sensation, the rush of something beneath her skin, something almost – _magical_. "Uhm. 6pm?"

"Aesop's Tables," Regina whispered, the smile finally overtaking her face, "I'll text you directions."

"Okay," Emma murmured, dropping Regina's hand as she walked towards the hallway, "I'll see you later," she added, promises sparkling in her eyes and excitement thrumming beneath her skin.

Merida replied with a cheerful, "See you later, lass," before Emma got Alba into the stroller and left Regina's house. She had some serious thinking to do.

But first – more coffee. Preferably spiked.

* * *

A/N: Thank you once more for your support and enthusiasm about this fic! We're nearing the end here, and I'm so excited about it. I will return with chapter 21 soon!


	21. Chapter Twenty One: A Fighting Chance

A/N: A fair warning for this chapter: There's canon-typical violence in the second part of this chapter, and then everything gets sappy in the most Once Upon a Time-way possible. I hope you enjoy, this was a challenge for me to write!

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWENTY ONE – A FIGHTING CHANCE**

After a long discussion on how to proceed, she and Merida had agreed that the best way to handle Captain Hook would be to destroy the Enchanted Helm. Merida didn't want it – she never wanted to use it, and she didn't want men to aimlessly fight her battles for her; no, she wanted respect, she said, faithful warriors to fight beside her, because they wanted to of their own volition.

Regina had always thought that a healthy dose of fear would do that for you, but Merida was – apparently – a much kinder ruler than she had been. She didn't want to force anyone by use of enchanted armour.

It sounded smart, though, destroying the helm. So Regina promised to brew a potion that would be able to strip a magical inanimate object of its powers, and the only thing they had to do was protect the helm from Hook until it was ready. Thankfully, it did not take as long to brew as the last potions she'd made, so she sat everything up inside her vault and left the potion to simmer for the next three hours as it was supposed to. She just needed to head back to the vault to add the last ingredient – pulverised anise seed – and stir the potion counter clockwise ten times and everything would be ready to go.

Merida met Mulan, Ruby and David by the harbour, expecting Hook to show up at any time, while Regina got ready for her dinner with Emma. She wasn't entirely sure if it was a date, but there had been something in Emma's eyes when they'd agreed to meet, a mischievous kind of sparkle that Regina had not been able to ignore. Even the constant flutter in her stomach told her that it might be a date – at least that she wanted it to be a date – and she found herself getting dressed up as if it was.

She had been thoroughly surprised earlier when Emma had requested to hear everything once more. It was essentially what Regina had hoped would happen; that Emma would start feeling the magic, experiencing how Storybrooke could be, and figure out that something was truly going on. Regina was also quite sure – and entirely elated by the thought – that Alba was producing magic to mess with Emma. There was simply no other explanation that made sense.

Her daughter. A witch. A witch with so much mischief that she was producing bubbles and flowers before she could even walk. But of course, Henry had told her when she voiced her thoughts to him, Alba was a product of her and Emma, so how could she not be magical? Henry's chest had swelled with so much pride at that, and she feared he was going to be Alba's accomplice in the future rather than help them control her.

Regina nervously adjusted her dress as she waited for Emma at her table at Aesop's Tables. It was perhaps not the best place to continue their conversation from earlier, but it was certainly safer than Granny's where everyone they knew would be privy to how it turned out. She wasn't sure how she should go about everything, how much she was supposed to tell Emma. She hadn't scared her off yet, but she was walking a fine line. If she told too much, Emma would perhaps freak out and retreat again, but she also had to approach the subject. Like coming out and telling her right now that her kids were also Regina's kids would probably be too much, but mentioning the fact that she was actual royalty prophesied to save them all would perhaps be okay.

Henry had told her to go all out, but he was also just eager to get their family back. Mulan had told her to take baby steps, but to definitely go with her gut feeling. So far it had worked out quite well here in Storybrooke.

Emma breathlessly appeared next to her at the table – wearing a casual dress and her Doctor Martens; so thoroughly Emma Swan – and sat down in front of her, throwing her jacket over the back of the chair. "Hi," she smiled, flushing as she brushed a piece of blonde hair behind her ear.

Regina felt her face break into a huge smile. "Emma," she said, eyes roaming appreciatively over the blonde's body. It was clear she had made an effort; not dressed up as much as she had on their date in New York, but probably gone out to find a suitable dress in one of the town's small shops. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you," Emma shyly said, "so do you."

Running another hand down her dress, Regina reached for the small drinks menu on the table. "Can you indulge in a glass of wine today? I'd like to share a glass with you."

Emma hummed, nodded. "Yeah. And can we get some appetisers too, maybe?"

"Sure," Regina nodded, pushing her chair back, suddenly feeling oddly nervous. "I'll be right back," she offered.

Emma nodded and Regina went to the bar to order a glass of wine for each of them as well as something to eat. She should probably have planned this better, but it wasn't really that thought-out. She just remembered Mary Margaret moaning about this place a few weeks ago over the phone and it was the first thing that had popped into her mind. When she returned to the table, Emma was nervously fidgeting with her phone.

"Where are the kids tonight?" Regina questioned as she sat a glass down in front of the blonde.

"Lily's watching them," Emma said, stuffing her phone into her purse and eagerly reaching for her glass, fingers curling around the stem. "Uh, she's – she's feeling loads better, but I'm kinda nervous that she wants to stay here."

Raising an eyebrow casually, Regina said, "Why do you say that?"

Emma sipped her wine. "I think she likes that waitress from the diner," she replied, before adding, "This is a good wine."

"It's Chardonnay," Regina agreed, taking a short sip of her wine as well. It was dry, just like she preferred it. "So." She paused, staring expectantly at the blonde woman across from her.

"So," Emma agreed, cheeks dimpled and lips straining.

Regina smirked, "Have you had time to digest what I told you earlier?"

Emma bopped her head, stalling for time by taking another sip of her wine. "Yes, yes I have actually," she casually said, eyes darting across the room.

It was kind of hard to contain how eager she was to hear what Emma was thinking, because she'd been quietly contemplating it all afternoon, and there Emma was, acting all nonchalant and reluctant to share her thoughts. Regina figured the blonde was trying to mess with her somehow, and it was just such an Emma thing to do, and even though she was excited to hear more, she couldn't help but love it. "And what have you concluded?"

"That I might just be going crazy, because I believe you," Emma softly said, and a smile flirted with the corners of her mouth, tugging them upwards as she twirled the glass between her long fingers.

Regina was unable to stop herself from smiling at the other woman. "Let's toast to that," she proposed, tilting her glass slightly towards Emma to let it clink against hers.

"Fuck yes," Emma replied as they both rose the glasses to their lips.

The bartender appeared at their table with a plate of fries – Regina knowing Emma well enough to get that 'appetisers' meant crispy, greasy food – and she applauded herself for her decision to eat a small salad at home before she left. Emma immediately snuck three fries and dipped them, happily stuffing her face, and Regina's heart swelled, because it was such a mundane thing to be happy about, but it was Emma, and they were almost there; she almost had her family back in her grasp, and this conversation over wine and fries was a testament to that.

"So this other realm," Emma mumbled as she chewed and swallowed, gulping it down with a sip of wine, "you said that you cursed them here?"

Regina hummed. "Yes. I'm who you would probably know as the Evil Queen from Snow White-"

"No way!" Emma cut her off.

"-and we were frozen in time for 28 years," Regina finished, biting her lip to keep herself from grinning at Emma's shocked expression.

"So wait a sec.," the blonde said, scrunching her nose and narrowing her eyes, "you did this to hurt Snow White? What? For vanity? But you're…" She trailed off, eyes running over Regina's form unabashedly, "…I can't imagine someone in any land, ever, who'd be prettier than you."

Sweet as that was, Regina had always hated the fact that the Disney cartoon made her out to be someone obsessed with beauty that way – she had more dept than that, thank you very much – and she hurried to explain herself. "I actually did that because of something else entirely, and many a person has told me that I carry a grudge very well." She leaned forward and snatched one of the fries; she wasn't going to tell Emma that she was the one who'd applauded her ability to carry grudges more times than anyone else. "But Snow and I have made up now. I was never much of a stepmother to her, only a few years older, it was a … whole thing," she finished, daintily taking a bite of the fry.

The lines on Emma's forehead creased, "OK, so… you were frozen in time? When did you… un-freeze?"

"Well, you did that," Regina replied.

"Me?" Emma mouthed.

"You," Regina chuckled, reaching a hand across the table to clasp it over one of Emma's. She gave it a light squeeze, "As you can imagine I was quite upset with you for a little while for ruining my life's work, but now I am quite fond of you, so I think it's of no matter."

Emma didn't pull her hand away. "You're going to have to explain all of this to me eventually, but I have a feeling that there's _so much_ to know that it'd be easier if I just… remembered," she softly murmured, green eyes shimmering apologetically.

Regina sighed. "Yes, it would be. Especially because of all the connections you made with people. It'd be a shame to let the years in Storybrooke disappear from your memories."

"Can't you make another potion?" Emma hopefully questioned, fries momentarily forgotten.

Shaking her head softly, Regina murmured, "I'm afraid not. Some of the ingredients were very hard to come by in the Enchanted Forest – we lost a great man trying to procure them for you and Henry – there was only enough to brew two potions."

Emma sadly lowered her eyes, removing her hand from Regina's grasp to take her wine. "Hopefully it will come to me anyway."

"Yes," Regina agreed, reaching for her own glass as well, "hopefully it will."

They fell into a much easier topic after that; talking about Alba and Henry, and Emma's suspicions about Lily's crush on Ruby. Regina thought that that match was going to make a lot of sense in the long run, but she couldn't very well tell Emma that her best friend was a dragon and that the cute waitress from the diner was a wolf. Other than that, Emma amused herself by guessing who was who in their small town, and she was surprisingly bad at it, even if she had Henry's altered fairytales as a reference. Either she hadn't listened much when he talked to her about them – which Regina found unlikely – or she just hadn't made the connection between Henry's writings and this town.

Regina was about to suggest they order another glass of wine or perhaps go find some real dinner somewhere, when she looked up to find Mary Margaret making her way into the establishment, apologetically meeting Regina's eyes. She was carrying a quiver and a bow above her shoulder, and there was a flush to her pale cheeks. Regina sighed; she should have known that this date was going to be cut short when Hook was on his way, but she was thankful for the couple of hours that she and Emma had managed to catch for themselves inside Aesop's Tables.

"Looks like we're about to be interrupted," she warned Emma lowly, and the blonde turned to see Mary Margaret awkwardly shuffling up to their table.

"I'm sorry," she said, wincing slightly as she looked at them, "to cut whatever _this is_ short, but… you're needed at the pier."

Emma turned to look at Regina with wide eyes. "The pier? Does that mean that – that – _Captain Hook_ has arrived?" She pushed her chair back and gathered her purse and jacket.

Regina repeated her movements. "You should probably head back to Granny's then," she suggested. She didn't want Emma to see Hook, especially not in this state. Not only did Emma not remember everything, she didn't have her magic, and Hook was probably going to hit on her again. Regina could really go without experiencing that after a year and a half.

"What," Emma snickered, "no way, I'm coming."

Mary Margaret paused, huddling in her giant sweater and beanie, staring questioningly at her daughter. "You're – you're coming?"

Emma jutted out her jaw. "Well this is my home too, isn't it? If someone's threatening that, I'm gonna try to help. Memories or no memories."

Regina felt a surge of happiness in her chest at that, and she reached a hand out to touch Mary Margaret's elbow. "Why don't you and Emma head to the pier? I have something to retrieve in my vault," she explained.

Mary Margaret nodded, "Yes. We'll see you there?" She turned to look at Emma, all soft eyes and soft smile; a mother staring longingly at the daughter who didn't know her, "Emma, you ready to go?"

Emma offered Regina a look that did strange things to the brunette's body. It was filled with hope and longing and something a lot like love, "I'll see you there?"

"I promise," Regina murmured, before she thought _what the heck_ and disappeared in a fog of purple smoke, only catching the first of Emma's exclamation.

"What the-!?"

—

When she and Mary Margaret made it to the pier – they'd been running almost the entire way there, thankfully the town was not that big – a small crowd had already gathered to wait there. Emma recognised most of them – Mary Margaret's husband, the Deputy Sheriff, along with Merida, as well as another deputy that she recognised from their first night in town; she thought her name was Mulan. Plus the waitress – Ruby, Lily's _crush_ \- from the diner. She was there too, for some reason Emma really didn't understand, but Mary Margaret greeted them all happily.

"Where's Regina?" Ruby asked, eyeing Emma warily.

"In her vault," Mary Margaret explained.

Emma stared at the giant ship that was just docking. There was an entire crew working and watching them, and on the forefront was a man that could only be the one and only Captain Hook. He looked nothing like his cartoon, but Emma was starting to understand that it was a toss up whether or not these fairytale characters actually did. Like, Merida for instance, she was spot on, but Regina was an entirely different story.

The captain was joined by a beautiful, tall, and intimidating woman by his side, staring down at them with a hand on his shoulder.

David murmured, "Is that…?"

" _Ursula_ ," Mary Margaret moaned, green eyes turning wide.

Emma groaned. "Ursula?" she questioned, sticking her hands into her pockets, "As in Ursula the Sea Witch from _The Little Mermaid_?" Fan-fucking-tastic. As far as Emma remembered, she was kind of a hard-ass. She started absentmindedly humming _Poor Unfortunate Souls_ without her own volition.

Mulan said, "Yes, that's her."

"Well, thankfully she's not an octopus, huh," Emma tried to joke, but just as she said that, tentacles swept out from beneath her dress and wrapped themselves around a pillar on the harbour. Emma groaned.

"We have to protect this helm with all we got, ya' hear me," Merida murmured, reaching for an arrow in her quiver. She carefully placed it on her bow, eyes wide as she aimed it towards Ursula who was slowly making her way onto solid ground, the Captain right behind her.

Mary Margaret reached for her own arrow as well, placing it on the bow, ready to fire. Both Mulan and David pulled out swords from their belts, and Emma was starting to realise that she was severely underprepared for this altercation. She wished she had brought her gun. Only Ruby seemed to be as underprepared as she was, and Emma found herself scooting closer to the tall brunette. Did fairytale characters even fear guns? She wasn't sure.

"Hook," Mary Margaret greeted him when he came off the ship and stepped closer to them, "you are not welcome here. I'm asking you to please board your ship and return back to where you came from."

"Not without the helm, love," Hook replied, and he raised his arm to scratch his cheek, and Emma realised that he was – in fact – spotting a silver hook on the end of his arm.

She gasped.

"Ey love," Hook greeted as his eyes landed on her, "it's been a long time, Emma, how are you? And how's the lad?"

Emma felt her eyes widen and she bent her head to whisper to Ruby, "Do I know him?"

Ruby gave her a curt nod and stepped in front of her. "Don't you even try, Hook," she hissed, and her eyes were flashing an almost golden colour, "Just return to where you came from and leave the Kingdom of DunBroch alone."

"We'll fight you for it," Mulan added, and before Emma had time to register what was truly going on, Ruby had pushed her off to the side, and the small group of people were joined by the crew – the crew of the _Jolly Roger_ , Emma realised – and the sounds of swords meeting, arrows flying and people yelling overtook the splashing of the water against the pier.

Hook had _a lot_ of crew with him, Emma realised, and she could do nothing but watch as more and more men descended the ship and took to fighting the others; the people who Emma was starting to realise were perhaps her _friends._ Where was Regina?

Just as Emma thought the words, she realised that Regina was not there yet – _but that someone else was._ There, strolling down the side of the pier for an evening walk, was Lily with Alba in the stroller and Henry next to her. Emma felt her eyes turn wide. No. _No,_ they were not getting into the middle of this. She wished she could yell, scream at them to stop walking, but before she even managed to think too long about it, Henry had spotted the fight in the distance and she watched in horror as he took off running towards them.

"Henry, no!" she screamed, but her son couldn't hear her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she realised that one of the pirates had spotted Lily and the children, and if there was one thing Emma couldn't accept, it was someone coming after her kids. She looked frantically around herself, trying to locate something to fight with, to stop that damn pirate from even getting near her kids. She grabbed an old pipe, thrown off to the side, and felt its weight in her hand. It'd have to do.

She surged forward and clonked a man on the back of his head, who'd been well on his way to getting the better of Mulan from behind.

"Thanks," Mulan murmured, before meeting another pirate head-on.

Then Emma surged towards the other pirate and hit him square beneath the knees.

Arrows were flying everywhere, and it was entirely surreal, but Emma didn't have time to worry too much about it. All she could do was fight her way through, using the pipe and her body, watching as more and more pirates fell, but somehow, more just kept appearing. She felt this odd thrumming beneath her skin, urging her to go forward, giving her swings an extra impact and her kicks a firmer hit. She felt like she was almost floating, her skin shimmering white, and all she could do was keep fighting beside Ruby, who was wielding a small knife and nothing else.

Lily had joined Henry off to the side, watching the scene with wide eyes and her hands firmly on the handles of Alba's stroller. Emma realised that this had to look insane to her friend, but she didn't have time to worry too much about it at the moment.

"I'm almost out of arrows," Mary Margaret yelled above the sounds of blades meeting and arrows swooshing.

Ruby's eyes shimmered gold again, "You want me to take care of it?"

"Please," Mary Margaret replied, and before Emma knew what was happening, Ruby had discarded her red cloak and was storming towards the middle of the battle, jumping forward, leaping into the air.

She changed into a giant wolf halfway there and landed with a thud on top of three pirates.

Emma felt her jaw go slack, but she didn't have time to gape at the giant wolf, because two pirates were moving towards her, and she had nothing but a mere pipe to keep her safe. An arrow swiped past her ear out of nowhere, and she saw Merida reach for a new one in her – now empty - quiver, and Emma bent her head to duck, but a blast of purple sent the pirate flying backwards.

She looked up – green eyes landing on Regina – who was suddenly blasting purple everywhere, and she heard David murmur a quiet _thank God_ from behind her, and all of a sudden, the pirates were retreating, pulling backwards and Regina came to stop besides Emma – a careful hand on her back – while Mulan threw the red cloak over the growling wolf that soon turned into a tired Ruby who was trying to catch her breath.

"Regina," Hook – who had been leading the battle from the safety of the back, _coward_ – greeted, a smug smile playing on his face, "nice of you to join us."

Regina snarled, "Get the hell out of my town, you rum-soaked pirate."

Hook ran his hook over his beard. "Now, now, I think we can all agree on some terms here, don't you, love? Ursula and I just need the Enchanted Helm and we will be out of your hair."

"Hello, Regina, old friend," Ursula greeted, lips curling upwards and tentacles flicking.

Regina glared at her, "Ursula. Long time no see. I understand you're still keeping horrid company."

Ursula smirked, "We just need the helm, Regina." She gazed towards Merida, who was watching, features stern and eyes hard, "We definitely don't want you to use whatever you've got in that vial on it."

A hand came to clasp around the pocket of her jacket, and Emma realised that Regina had gone to retrieve something – something to _use_ on the helm – which was tucked in there for safekeeping.

"This helm has caused too much trouble, ey," Merida grumbled, "If ya' think I'll let ya' have it so you can corrupt my Kingdom, yer right down crazy, mates."

Hook sighed heavily. "If you won't give it to us, we'll fight for it. Don't be stupid, Merida."

David stepped forward, hand on his sword. "Hook, if you don't realise, we have the upper hand here. That potion will ruin the helm." He motioned towards Regina, "We don't want to hurt you, just take your ship and go."

"Merida, give me the helm," Regina firmly said, stepping closer to the redhead, who slung her satchel around, carefully opening it up to retrieve the helm that had caused all these troubles. Emma thought that it looked like a perfectly normal helm, but she knew nothing of magical objects, so her observations probably weren't that right.

"Don't do that, love," Hook warned Regina, and there was a look on his face that told Emma that he wasn't really worried. Something wasn't _right._ Even if it seemed like they had the upper hand right now, the look on Hook's face was something else entirely. She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was, but something didn't sit right with her.

Regina's eyes narrowed in on him, "Just watch me," she grumbled, moving to uncork the vial.

Hook turned to look at Ursula. "Do it now, love," he said, and Regina paused when one of Ursula's tentacles uncurled – growing longer and longer across the pier – to wrap firmly around Henry; circling around his midsection, locking his arms to his sides as he yelped and tried to pushed her off. All of this happened in two seconds flat, and Emma called his name, while Henry screamed, and soon he was tucked between Hook and Ursula, tentacles around him, keeping him bound.

"No," Emma grumbled, stepping closer, pipe ready in hand. She was absolutely seething. "I don't know who you think you are, but if you don't release my son right now, I swear to God, I will kill you with my bare two hands."

"Now, now, love," Hook lightly said, appearing to be amused, "if you get the Queen to put that potion away, I shall happily return your son to you."

Emma turned around, ready to fall to her knees and beg Regina to hand the potion - the helm, the entire town – over, but Regina was already corking the vial again, a truly frightened look in her eyes. Another of Ursula's tentacles swept out from beneath her dress, and Regina dutifully placed the vial in it, before it curled backwards and the Sea Witch had the vial in her hands. Emma felt a small relief at the thought that Regina had handed the vial over for Henry's sake with no protest at all.

Regina glared at Hook, "Now, you got the potion, Hook, return Henry at once."

"I should like the helm as well," Hook demanded, eyes twinkling dangerously.

"No," Merida quickly said, shaking her head. Her wild curls were blowing here and there in the wind, and her fingers curled around the shiny helm. "Regina, we can't give it to him. He will ravish entire Kingdoms. No good can come of it."

Emma glared at her. "I don't care, he's _my son._ "

"Ma, don't do it!" Henry yelled, muffled behind tentacles as he kicked his legs to loosen them. "It's not worth it."

Regina stood back on her legs, lighting a fireball in her palm, and the rest of the group followed her example, wielding their swords and knives. Even Mary Margaret had swiped a knife from her boot, and Emma was starting to think she was kind of bad-ass. "I will fireball you and burn your entire ship down," Regina threatened.

Hook sighed, and he shared another meaningful look with Ursula before the Sea Witch tightened her hold on Henry and lifted him far into the air. Mary Margaret gasped dramatically, and Emma clenched her jaw.

"Henry, hold still," she pleaded with him, not wanting him to wriggle too much incase he got dropped. There was at least a hundred feet down, and he would not survive such a fall to the asphalted pier. He was barely a blob against the blue sky, and Emma found herself briefly contemplating just how long those tentacles could get.

"Hook, I swear to God, if you hurt him-" Regina begun.

"The helm, if you so please," Hook interrupted her. He held his hand out, ready to receive the piece or armour, and Merida sighed in defeat. She shared a short look with Regina, but moved to walk the distance between their two groups.

Henry started wriggling again, "Mom! No!"

Regina glared up at him, "Henry, be quiet," she firmly yelled, and Emma's eyes snapped to her, because she'd never seen Regina act like such a stern mom before, and since when had Henry ever called Emma 'mom'? She'd always been 'ma' to him. "You don't get to decide this."

He seemed adamant to do it though, and he started wriggling again, clawing at the tentacles with his fingers, and Ursula hissed, tightening her hold on him.

"Foolish boy, I should end you right now," she argued, and Emma was about to, to – she wasn't sure – _throw_ something at her, because her anger was thrumming hotly right beneath the surface, and if she could just do it – but then _Henry._ And he was going to fall, wasn't he? Emma was about to do something – she still wasn't sure what - when a loud growl was heard from behind her, and for a second, she was sure that Ruby had turned back into the giant wolf out of sheer anger, but there was a gasp – and some pirates retreated back towards the ship, almost falling over their own legs to get there – and when Emma stared up, there was a fucking _dragon_ hovering in the air above them, blowing streams of fire on Ursula's tentacles.

"Holy shit, _Lily,_ " Emma heard Ruby murmur, and she turned around and found Alba abandoned alone in her stroller. Emma's eyes returned to the creature in the sky, and there was not a doubt in her mind that this was her best friend.

Her best friend was a dragon, and she was trying to save her son.

Many things seemed to happen at once; Mary Margaret ran to Alba's stroller, and Mulan and David surged forward, wielding their swords for the few brave pirates who had not retreated to the ship. Ruby and Merida met Hook head-on, and while Emma's eyes were trained on her son in the sky – because was Lily going to catch him once her fell? – Regina started blasting magic all around them, aiming for either Hook or Ursula. Henry screamed in the sky, and Ursula kept fighting Lily's fire, while Regina neared her from the side.

A tentacle snapped out, circled around the brunette, and before Emma had time to warn her, the Sea Witch had emptied the potion – the potion meant for the helm – over Regina's head and her fire fizzled out to nothing. Emma could see the look of panic on Regina's face, and while the others were good soldiers, fighting valiantly with both a wolf and a dragon on their side, it was clear that Regina's magic had been both their best defence and offence. It occurred to Emma that with the loss of _that,_ however brief, they might very well not make it without casualties in this fight. Perhaps they should just hand over the helm and escape while they could?

Ursula's tentacle snapped and Emma stared up again only to realise that Henry was falling. Lily was moving to catch him with her claws, but another tentacle grabbed hold of her tail and pulled her backwards. Henry was still falling, falling towards the ground at great speed, and Emma yelled, threw herself forward – not really sure what she was going to do, but just so, so incredibly angry – and a blast of white surged from her fingers, enveloping Henry and settling him gently to the ground. Emma fell forward, landed on her knees with something – was it magic? – thrumming beneath her skin in a way she was starting to grow familiar with. She hugged her son tightly as he sobbed, burrowing his head in her shoulder, and she held him for a second, not minding the battle behind her, until a loud scream was heard – so incredibly painful and agonising that Emma had never heard anything like it before – and she turned around only to see that Regina had fallen a few feet behind them, clutching her stomach, and that Hook held a bloody sword and smirked proudly down on her.

"No!" Emma yelled, panic surging through her as she scrambled to cross the small distance on her hands and knees, "No, Regina. No!" She clutched at the other woman, cradled her head and stared down at the brunette as she gazed up at her, unblinking. Her eyes were shimmering, and they were so filled with love that Emma felt it all the way into her chest.

The fight still continued around them, Mulan now fighting Hook right next to them, but Emma did not have eyes for anything besides Regina in her arms, and Henry who had fallen next to them, staring down at the brunette as well, with tears streaming down his cheeks. He pressed his hands to Regina's stomach, fingers turning red with blood, and Regina gasped.

"Alba," she breathed, eyes begging as they met Emma's. "Please."

It was like Mary Margaret had read Regina's mind, because she appeared next to them at that, Alba in her arms. She kneeled down beside them, near Regina's legs, and Regina smiled, reaching a faint hand out to cup the baby's cheek.

"Is there a hospital here," Emma breathed, turning to look frantically at Mary Margaret. Somehow, she was aware, that behind her Lily was flying off into the distance with something shiny in her mouth, while a giant wolf leapt on the Sea Witch, but she was not really registering anything. "We have to get her to a hospital, yeah? You can, like, magic it better, yeah?"

Mary Margaret had tears in her eyes as well as she shook her head, "No one does magic as well as Regina in this town," she whispered.

Emma turned back to stare at the brunette – the beautiful woman she felt like she was just starting to get to know, even if something told her that they'd known each other for ages – and clutched at her hand again. "No, Regina, no," she shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks, "you can't die, Goddamnit, I still don't remember. I _have_ to remember. We _have_ to be together."

Regina smiled faintly, "I love you, Emma," she breathed, her skin growing paler and paler, all the colour draining from her usually tan face, "you and the kids. I love Henry," she breathed, squeezing his hands on top of her wound, "and I love Alba," she added, eyes shiny as she gazed upon the girl.

"I love you too, Mom," Henry breathed, tears and snot spilling freely down his tan cheeks as he gazed down on her.

"Mommy," Alba babbled, small hands reaching forward to touch Regina's hair.

Emma cried, clutched her children tighter and bend down to press her forehead to Regina's. "And I love you, for fuck's sake," she whispered, heart aching and eyes closing, "We were just supposed to be starting out."

Regina's breath hitched, "I know."

"And I'm supposed to be the idiot here," Emma wetly chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, but it was no use. Regina was bleeding out beneath her, and everything was silent around them; it was just them, in their little bubble, with Mary Margaret awkwardly hovering by their feet, and Emma cried as she pressed her lips to Regina's red ones, pouring in all the love and care that she had for this woman and what could have been their fairytale family.

Breath hitching, Regina responded, cheeks wet, and all of a sudden bubbles appeared around them as all the colours of the rainbow enveloped them and the ache in Emma's chest was replaced with something else entirely.

Her memories.

* * *

A/N: What do you think? Did I manage that fight okay? I am seriously not skilled at writing all that action, subtle romance angst is much more my forte. Only one chapter left + an epilogue!


	22. Chapter Twenty Two: True Love's Kiss

**CHAPTER TWENTY TWO – TRUE LOVE'S KISS**

Emma stared at the woman beneath her while the world shifted before her eyes. Years of memories, of raising Henry, of living in New York City with him in a surprisingly comfortable apartment despite her lack of education faded into the background, intertwined with years on the street, in the back of her Bug, of catching bail jumpers and finally finding somewhat of a home in Boston. It intertwined with _I'm Henry, I'm your son,_ with Storybrooke and curses, with apple turnovers and trips to Neverland. With Regina. With _Regina,_ always Regina.

Regina. Whose eyes were closed, whose cheeks were pale, whose blood was seeping onto the asphalt beneath them while Henry sobbed and Alba whimpered. Regina. Who Emma _loved._

"Mom," she breathed, turning her head to stare at Mary Margaret.

Mary Margaret's eyes widened, wet with tears as she stared at the woman on the ground. "Go," she breathed while she reached a hand out to squeeze Emma's arm. "Go, we've got this."

The fight was still going, but it was dying down, and Ruby and Mulan were absolutely tearing Hook apart, and Emma summoned up all of her magic – it was so strange, the way it thrummed beneath her skin, and now that she _knew,_ she knew what it was - and she let it envelop herself, Regina and the kids, and white fog spun around them, intertwined them, and they landed in the middle of the hospital with a poof.

As the smoke cleared, Emma came face to face with Whale, and she stared at him expectantly while he stared down at Regina. "A sword," she explained with a sob, letting go of Regina's body to swoop Alba into her arms and stand up, "Fix it, Whale. Fix it. _Please,_ " she added.

Whale fell into action, yelled for gurneys and nurses and _can we get some help over here,_ and Henry was reluctant to let Regina go, and it physically hurt Emma's heart to have to pull him away, because it was his _mom_ and it was Regina, and what if they couldn't stitch her up and fix her? What if all of this was for naught, and now that Emma finally remembered, Regina would just cease to exist?

Why had it taken her so fucking long to remember?

She pressed a kiss to Alba's hair, cradling her daughter to her chest as tears trickled down her face and everything settled around her like dust after a big race. Her heart hurt, and she could feel Regina's magic reaching out to her as they drove her away in a whisk of white bodies and frantic yells. Emma could do nothing but watch the woman she loved – because Regina was _the woman she loved_ – be taken away, and everything was in someone else's hands, and when had that ever been okay with her.

Emma fell into a hospital chair, Henry next to her, and she wrapped an arm around him and huddled them all closer as they cried. This could not be the end of them, she wasn't going to allow it. This had to be the new beginning, a chance at happiness in a way that Emma had never before thought possible.

She didn't think much about the fight on the pier; of Lily flying away or Hook's cowardice, but she thought of a stolen moment in Neverland, of secret loves and weak goodbyes at the town line with Regina's heart in her hands. She thought of months spent with her love by her side in New York without even realising it, and _how could she have been so blind._

This wasn't the end. Emma refused to let it be.

—-

When she first started to come to it, Regina couldn't open her eyes or move her lips. All she experienced was a metallic taste in her mouth, dry and sticky, and surges of white heat streaming through her body. It felt like she was enveloped in warmth, soft cotton beneath her head, and with the distinct smell of sterilised hospital residing in her nostrils. Her body ached, and there were stings of pain shooting through her left side, and for a moment all she could focus on was them; she breathed with them, in and out, as the pain shot through her body like surges of wildfire.

What had happened? She remembered Emma rushing to Henry's side at the pier after a burst of white magic had surged from her hands to envelope him and carry him to safety – but Hook, that coward of a man, had followed, coming from behind with his sword and his vendetta, and Regina had followed him of her own accord.

 _Not my family, you fool,_ and without her magic she had been weak, he had hit her with his sword and there had been blood and pain, until there was only Emma, Alba and Henry above her, and then there had been nothing but darkness.

How had she ended up here? With the beeps of machines, the hustle and bustle of the hospital through the open door, the faint sounds of someone breathing deeply next to her. And then surges of heat, the flashes, coursing through her veins, her blood, her body, and enveloping her in softness as it flowed to the beat of her heart and the shots of pain in her side.

"Emma." It was Mary Margaret, and she sounded worried, "Emma, you need to pace yourself, you're gonna tire yourself out at this rate."

Emma grumbled, "Why won't she wake up."

There was the sound of a chair scraping across the floor. "She's going to wake up, her body just needs to rest," Mary Margaret softly replied. "Doctor Whale is sure she'll be fine. You did good."

"I wish I was better at this," Emma whispered, and Regina felt it again, the surges of heat through her – the familiar tingles of Emma's magic as it overtook her senses and flowed through her veins. _Emma's magic._ Emma had magic now. Regina wished she could remember exactly what had happened at the pier, but everything was a little fussy. Did that mean that Emma knew who she was and ultimately what they were to each other?

Mary Margaret spoke again. "Why don't you go help Ruby and Mulan look for Lily? I'll stay here to keep her company."

Emma sighed heavily, and Regina felt air hit her skin. Emma was right next to her, never far away; but had she really thought differently, now that she was stuck in a hospital bed? "Or perhaps I should get to the station."

"Your father and Merida have got Hook under control in the cell. You need to focus on your friend," Mary Margaret said, and she was using her Mom Voice, and she said 'father' and Regina's head hurt. Where was Lily?

"Yes, I should-" Emma pulled her hand away and Regina felt the lack of contact immediately, "Call me if she wakes up."

Regina missed Mary Margaret's reply.

—-

The second time she woke up, it was to the sounds of Emma's stern voice as she entered the room and grabbed Regina's hand again. "I just don't understand what you were even doing at the pier, Lily," she argued, and the steady flow of magic started entering Regina's body immediately. She relaxed against the bed, savouring Emma's touch.

"Alba couldn't sleep, okay," Lily replied, voice weary, "Granny suggested that some fresh air might do the trick, and you _know_ Henry, he was adamant to come find you. He thought he could help with the information he found on the helm."

Emma sighed. "Yes, but I trusted you with my kids, Lily, my kids! And look what happened." She squeezed Regina's hand tightly, and Regina felt her eyes on her, just knew that Emma was watching her with softness, "It ended up like this."

Lily said, "I'm sorry, Emma, I really am! But at least I did my part. You saw what happened – I turned into a freaking dragon out of pure rage. No one threatens my Godchildren!"

Regina wanted to smile at that, to tell Lily that she had done good no matter what had occurred afterwards, but she couldn't get her lips to move. All she felt was Emma's magic surging through her and beeps lulling her into a daze, even if she wanted to let them know that she was _there,_ that she was almost awake, that she could hear them.

She fell asleep instead.

—

When she finally woke up for real it was to her family – _her entire family_ – in her hospital room; Henry had been talking to her for a while, sitting next to her head on a chair, retelling something about the Enchanted Helm and Merida and Ursula – who had been banished – and he only stopped talking when footsteps entered the room and Regina felt the tell-tale signs of Emma near her; of her magic reaching out to Regina's in an almost desperate attempt to connect.

"Ma," Henry greeted, "and hi Alba."

Emma's fingers enveloped Regina's, and magic started coursing through her immediately. "Hi kid," she said. "Anything?"

Henry sighed. "Nah, but she's getting her colour back. Her skin tone's almost back to normal. Look," he laughed and she felt a weight settle onto the mattress next to her, "Alba for comparison!"

"You're ridiculous," Emma mumbled, but there was a smile in her voice.

Alba babbled, and small fingers tugged at Regina's hair, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy," she chanted, and a surge of something unfamiliar – yet somehow recognisable – streamed into Regina from where her daughter's fingers were touching her.

She grumbled, lips moving of their own accord. "You better not be using your sister as a colour-palette, Henry Daniel Mills," she hoarsely mumbled, mouth dry and words unfamiliar. She squinted her eyes open, the real world bright after having her eyes closed for so long. There were fluorescent, yellow hospital lights above her, but also Alba's face with tufts of dark hair and wide, brown eyes.

"Regina!" Emma gasped, dropping her hand and surging forward, while Henry cheered, "Mom!"

Regina dryly chuckled, "How long have I been out for?"

Emma pressed a kiss to her lips, taking her entirely by surprise. It was a welcome gesture though, and Regina responded as well as she could, overwhelmed. "Only for two days," Emma breathed against her mouth, green eyes shiny and lips trembling. "I've been shooting you up with magic as much as possible, but I'm kinda not that experienced with healing," she explained, pulling back slightly.

Henry leaned forward, pressing a kiss to Regina's forehead. "We were nervous, Mom."

Alba tugged at her hair again, "Mommy."

"Hi Alba, my darling," Regina greeted her, eyes falling onto the baby, who was sitting upright next to her, back supported by Henry's firm hands.

Emma pulled a spare chair over, dragging it noisily across the floor, but reclaiming Regina's hand as she sat down, still shooting bursts of magic into Regina through their touch. "You had us worried there. Hook got you with his sword from behind. _Bastard_."

Regina blinked, tired. "But what happened? Is everyone else OK?" She licked her dry lips, eyes landing on the bottle of water on the table next to her. "Can I have some of that?"

"Yeah," Emma quickly said, reaching forward to grab the bottle. She unscrewed the lid and helped Regina gulp down some water, before the brunette tiredly fell back onto the pillow. "Uh, Lily flew away with the helm – she's an _effing dragon,_ did ya' know? – and Henry had found something about the helm in one of Belle's books, which now means that it can return to DunBroch with Merida and not cause any harm. It's a spell – we need you to do it once you're feeling better – and it alters the helm's enchantment to give the wearer true loyalty-"

"-but not blind loyalty-" Henry interjected, proud.

"-to anyone who _decides_ to follow them into battle. Which means that Merida will only have the best, most loyal, soldiers with her, and she's okay with that," Emma finished, soft smile playing on her features.

Swallowing, relieved that some of the metallic taste had gone from her mouth, Regina said, "And what about Ursula?" They used to be friends, once upon a time, and even if Ursula had sided with Hook, she couldn't help but feel like she should be worried about her.

"Back in the water," Emma explained, "Lily got her good with some of that fire, and Hook uh… I wanted to murder him, obviously, but my father wouldn't let me, so he's in the cell for now."

Regina chuckled, "You shouldn't go killing anyone for my sake. Not even rum-soaked pirates"

"He deserves it," Emma mumbled, "bastard."

And there was something so absolutely sweet about her downturned lips and her rosy cheeks and the way she threatened to kill one-handed pirates that Regina could hardly stop herself from smiling. "So," she glanced at the blonde woman, heart swelling because _there they were,_ "do you remember everything now?"

Emma sheepishly ducked her head, knee tilting to the side as she refused to meet Regina's eyes. Shy. "We uh," she cleared her throat, "we kinda shared… True Love's Kiss?" She said it in such a way – like she wasn't sure if that was really okay with Regina, and that maybe she would get chastised for it – and it was absolutely adorable and so very _Emma_.

Regina bit her lip. "True Love's Kiss?"

"Yeah," Emma said.

Henry suddenly pushed his chair back and pulled Alba with him. "Oh would you look at that, Alba, I think I hear Gramps outside. We should go look!" And he was out the door, closing it softly behind them, shielding them from the entire world, and it was just so very _Henry._

Regina smiled up at her, noticing that Emma had not let go of her hand, and that magic was still being deposited into her body at a steady pace. "So," she repeated herself, not sure how to get this conversation on track, "True Love's Kiss?"

Emma's eyes were almost shielded behind her hair, and she looked tired; probably worn out by getting her memories back and giving away so much of her newly discovered magic. "Yeah," she hummed, thumb drawing a circle on the back of Regina's hand, "…is that okay?"

"Emma," Regina breathed, and she reached a heavy hand out to clasp Emma's chin and urge the other woman to look at her. "It's more than okay."

Green eyes shone with a thousand tears, and Emma bit her lip, teeth digging heavily into pink, chapped skin. "Really?" And there it was again; Emma, so unsure in a way that Regina had never experienced her before. It was breathtaking.

Regina felt her lips curl into a smile. "Really," she promised, lightly, though heavy with truth, "I've loved you for a long time, Emma."

"Me too," Emma whispered, and she bent forward, gently pressing a kiss to Regina's dry lips. It tingled pleasantly, and Regina breathed in through her nose, letting herself be surrounded by everything Emma Swan in a stupid hospital room in Storybrooke, Maine. It was as perfect as it could be. Emma cleared her throat and pulled away again, though she was even closer than before, hip resting against the side of the bed, and forehead pressed to Regina's. "So, uh…" She wetted her lips, "Do you have any idea why True Love's Kiss only worked now? I mean… We uh, we sorta kissed in New York?"

Lips curling up into a soft smile, Regina's hands sought out Emma's body, desperate for hot, fair skin, and soothing tingles. "We did, didn't we."

Emma hummed in reply.

"I reckon it could be one of three possibilities," Regina softly murmured, brown eyes locking onto Emma's as she spoke. "One – we're in Storybrooke now. Perhaps we needed to be in a place with magic for it to work. Or two – you were finally starting to believe, yes? Maybe for True Love's Kiss to work, you _need_ to believe in the power of it."

Emma was so close that Regina could count every freckle on her pale skin. "And the third?" she queried.

Regina's chest fluttered by the mere thought of the third possibility being the right one. "Perhaps you were finally starting to fall in love with me again."

Breath hitching, Emma pulled back slightly. Her eyes swept from Regina's brown gaze to the curl or her lips and back to her eyes again. She looked at her with so much warmth. "I think I like that one the best," she murmured, nose pressing into Regina's to steal another brief kiss.

With a hoarse chuckle, Regina brushed a hand over Emma's jawbone. "Yes. But we might not ever know the truth," she lightly replied. Somehow it didn't even matter that much. What mattered was the woman in front of her and the two kids who had just left the room.

"Screw the truth," Emma laughed, eyes shiny with mirth. "I've got you now."

Regina laughed, too, and she pulled Emma towards her for yet another kiss. Her body soared with magic; real as well as the affectionate kind, and she wasn't sure what gave her the strongest powers. Emma's magic intertwined with hers, curled inside of her, white and purple meshing perfectly together in a dance, but Emma's love – oh, Emma's love soared through her too, cut through her body in pleasant ways that made her body thrum with something inexplicable and undefinable. Regina pulled at it, held onto it, desperate to never let it slip through her fingers again.

Emma pulled back with a dazed look on her face, and Regina stroked a piece of blonde hair behind her ear. "I did some math, by the way," Emma whispered, sitting up straighter and letting her hands linger carefully on Regina's body, "And I know, I might not be the best at these sort of things, uh, you know, with things being math in this case, but I've been really been thinking, and uh… Alba is yours, right?"

Regina laughed, and it felt good. The sound bubbled out of her, and Emma's eyes shone, and it was absolutely wonderful. The feelings inside of her, and the confused look marring Emma's beautiful face. "Yes, Emma. Alba is mine."

The blonde hummed, accepting the truth immediately. "How?"

"Neverland's magic, I guess. At least according to Belle."

Emma grinned. "I like that."

Regina felt like her cheeks might be hurting from smiling so much, but she didn't care. It was Emma, it was them, and they were _there._ "You do?"

"Are you kidding?" Emma breathed, bashfully shaking her head, "She's _ours,_ Regina. Do you have any idea how amazing that is? _Our Alba._ Our _Henry._ A family."

"A family," Regina echoed, hand coming up to cup Emma's cheek again.

Emma bent her head to the side, pressing her lips to Regina's wrist, and it was wonderful, it was them, and it was everything Regina had ever wanted and more to it. "I can't believe how patient you were in New York," she whispered, her free hand reaching out to stroke across Regina's abdomen, carefully avoiding the part where Hook's sword had gone straight through her. "You were right there all the time, and you just… You just waited."

Regina breathed softly out. "I could probably have done a few things differently, but I was desperate in the end. When Henry finally remembered, I just…" She trailed off, not sure how she would ever be able to explain to Emma the things she had gone through over the course of those months; how everyone had pushed and pulled and advised her to do this or that. How all of it had changed once she was back home and got some perspective. "We thought we had to get you here."

"It's okay," Emma softly assured her, fingers still light as air through the white sheet, "I forgive you. Henry's still grounded until he's at least 18, but you're forgiven. I know why you did it, and I'm not mad anymore." She softly sighed, tongue darting out to wet her lips. "I'm just so glad that you're okay, nothing else really matters."

She was honestly too exhausted to even think about being emotional, but the tears welled up in her eyes anyway. "Only our family matters," she whispered, weakly lifting Emma's hand from her stomach to her lips. "Only us."

Emma surged forward again, pressing her forehead to Regina's as their eyes locked. She closed her eyes, savoured the other woman, and Emma's breath hitched. "Am I correct in remembering that you met me _twice_ in New York?" She laughed, pulling backwards and lightening the mood as Regina squeezed her eyes open. "You fucked up the first time, didn't you."

"Hush, hush," Regina fondly breathed. "Let's not talk about that."

"You so fucked up!" Emma laughed again, green eyes shining with mirth, and maybe laughter was exactly what she needed. "Regina Mills, you made me forget, didn't you. You made me forget so you could try again."

Regina rolled her eyes. "I thought you had a kid with _Lily_ for goodness sakes! What was I supposed to think, you idiot." She fondly averted her eyes, Emma's fingers travelling across her face as she refused to look at her.

Emma chuckled, "I love you, Regina."

"I love you, too," Regina replied, brown meeting green.

—-

Lily and Ruby visited her the next day. She was still in so much pain, but Emma's healing magic was doing wonders, and Whale had just confirmed that the surgery they did on her wound had done its job; she was stitched back together, and she was going to come out of this with only a huge scar across the side of her body, which was remarkable all things considered.

Ruby greeted her with a bone-crushing hug and fell into the most comfortable chair in the room, and Lily was more hesitant as she took a seat on the chair next to Regina's bed. "You look awful," she joked, but there was concern on her face all the same.

Regina was sitting up today – for the first time – and she'd even eaten a sandwich from Granny's for lunch that Mulan and Belle had brought her. She was feeling good, despite the constant throbbing in her abdomen. "Thank you, and you look a little green."

Lily stuck her tongue out at her. "Ruby found me far inside the woods. I had worn myself out and was back in my human form, clutching the damn helm in my arms." She glanced towards Ruby who was staring absentmindedly at the ceiling, head upside down, "I might need your guidance on how to control myself. Once you're better, of course." She paused, eyebrows twitching together. "If you don't mind helping me."

"I'd love to help you," Regina honestly replied, "Mal was my friend. You're her daughter. I'll try as best as I can."

Ruby hummed from across the room. "Snow's having a conniption about these turn of events. She keeps bringing Lily food as if that's going to make up for the fact that she stole away her goodness." She met Lily's eyes, lips curling upwards, "I love the woman, but she's not good at admitting when she's done something wrong."

Regina brushed a hand across the sheet covering her body. "That has never been her strongest suit. She means well, I'm sure."

Lily shrugged. "I'm not gonna get into it with them. I mean, it sucks." She bit her lip, fingers curling around her knee, "But so many things have sucked, and I think that maybe things have turned out the best way somehow." She stared at her fingers, blunt nails coloured with black. "I could have come looking years ago, did you know that? But I didn't believe."

Tilting her head to the side, Regina stared at her, quizzical. "How so?"

"A man cornered me once," Lily rushed to explain, eyes not quite meeting Regina's, "At a bus stop? Uh, he told me all about fairytales and Storybrooke and about uh… Emma." She paused, and Regina watched her, curious. "I'd just run away again. It was after I met Emma for the first time, and I was aware that I felt, you know, _good,_ different, when I was near her…" She trailed off, swallowed loudly and turned her eyes towards the window, "But I didn't believe what he told me. He told me I was Maleficent's daughter, but it sounded crazy, you know? I mean, I was fucked up, but I wasn't _that_ fucked up. Not fucked up enough to believe something like that."

Regina reached a hand out and softly clasped it over Lily's, stilling her nervous movements across her knee. "But you started remembering once I showed up?"

"Yeah," Lily flatly agreed, fingers curling against Regina's palm. "And once Henry started with his stories and dreams. Once we crossed the border here, everything just fitted."

"I'm really glad you're here, Lily," Regina offered her.

Ruby turned over, sitting upright in her chair and thrumming her red nails across the armrest. "I sure as fuck am too. A dragon and a wolf?" She wriggled her eyebrows, lips curling, "Imagine what kind of trouble we can get into."

Lily's face flushed a faint pink, and Regina withdrew her hand. "Not too much, I hope? I am still the mayor of this town."

"Boohoo, Queenie," Ruby brushed her off, stretching her long legs out, crossing them at the ankles.

Regina turned to look at Lily again. "Are you and Emma okay? About… these developments?"

"You mean, that you had her kill my mom?" Lily narrowed her eyes, but there was a softness to them all the same. "Yeah, we… talked. She and Henry promised to help me look for my dad instead. It's… it's good, I guess."

Softly, Regina relaxed against the bed, "Good. Me too."

—-

It wasn't really surprising that everyone was gathered in Regina's home when Emma was finally allowed to take her home from the hospital. Whale had given her strict instructions on how to take care of Regina for the next weeks, and Emma had all but moved her few possessions into the mansion so she could stay there. Lily and Ruby had volunteered to go to New York and pack everything they wanted and needed up, and they were going to do that as soon as Regina was able to enchant something for them to wear across the town line.

The _Welcome Home Regina_ banner shone across the living room door when Emma guided her inside, and the brunette chuckled when everyone cheered her on. She was on some pain medication, but mostly Emma's healing helped her move around rather freely, and she was able to find her own seat on the couch next to Henry and Alba. Whale had given Emma a strict look and told her _no excessive and taxing exercise,_ which she just knew meant _keep it in your pants, good Saviour,_ and honestly, Emma just wanted to feel close to Regina more than anything.

The party was a success. Regina mostly stayed on the couch, but everyone brought her foods and drinks, and a lot of them were eager to hear about their time in New York, so Henry talked about everything, and Emma interjected, and Regina sat on the couch and watched them with rapt attention. Emma felt her warm eyes on them, loving and full of care, and she slipped a hand across the couch to wrap it inside of hers.

"We have a surprise for you two!" Mary Margaret eventually squealed, not able to hide her excitement, and she clapped her hands together, and Belle perked up too, and before Emma knew it, she and Regina were dragged up the stairs and into one of the spare bedrooms.

Apparently they had spent the better part of the day getting it set up as a nursery for Alba – the walls were yellow with birds painted on one of them – "Thank you, Snow," Regina managed to squeeze out between pursed lips – and the travel crib was put up along with all of Alba's things from their room at Granny's. The rest would be there once they got their things from New York.

"It's really nice, Mom," Emma whispered, hugging Alba close to her as she pointed out a blue bird on the wall. "Can you see that, baby girl? A little birdie."

"Gramps," Alba determinedly said, and it was only the third word in her vocabulary, and Mary Margaret broke out crying as soon as it left her lips.

Ruby ushered them all out of there, and Regina fell into the rocking chair with a sigh. Emma deposited Alba on her lap with a _hold this one for a sec.,_ and Henry sat down on the window-seat, covered in plush pillows and teddy bears and everything that their friends hadn't been able to stop themselves from buying. Emma walked around the room, taking in everything their friends had done, and she could hear the party continuing downstairs, but she relished this moment – them, just their small family, in the quietness of the nursery - and she ran a finger over the changing table, fond.

She could not believe that they were finally there. They were _home,_ in Storybrooke. Everything was kind of giving her whiplash, but it felt good to be back. Her memories were a mess, jumbled up with Regina's memories of raising Henry, and Emma's own memories from her past. So many things made sense now, and it felt good to realise that all of the dreams and odd moments she had experienced – especially while being pregnant with Alba – had simply been a product of missing Regina, of missing home. But now she had to accept the fact yet again; she was a fairytale character, her parents had given her up to save her, and she'd put her own son into the system when she was only seventeen. The most startling fact however? She was in love with the Evil Queen, and they had a beautiful family together. Whenever she looked at Alba, she saw Regina so perfectly pointed out in her features; the pout of her lips, the colour of her hair, the shape of her eyes. And it was incredible to think that she and Regina had made her. Together, under the stars in Neverland, they had finally fallen into something she suspected that the both of them had wanted for quite a while, and the result had been the fierce, already opinionated little brunette.

Emma knew they probably had to talk more about Neverland and about creating Alba; actually they had so many things they needed to talk more about, but she felt confident that they had time now. They had all the time they wanted, and they were going to get there.

Alba's giggles pulled her out of her thoughts, and she turned around to find bubbles soaring around her and Regina in the rocking chair. "Regina," she chastised, crossing her arms in front of her, "you shouldn't do that, you'll tire yourself out."

Regina's eyes shone with mirth, "Emma, I'm not the one doing that," she hoarsely replied, before her eyes fell back onto Alba, who kicked her legs and sent another wave of bubbles straight into the air.

Emma felt her jaw drop. "You mean," she paused, stepping closer as she watched her daughter poke at colourful bubbles around her, "Alba has _magic_?"

"I believe she's been messing with you since you arrived in Storybrooke and it was available to her," Regina replied, affectionately pressing a kiss to the top of Alba's head.

"I _knew_ that that jar had to be empty by then!" Emma exclaimed, falling to her knees in front of the rocking chair. "You little munchkin, you've been messing with your Mamma?"

Alba giggled again and seriously said, "Bubbles." Fourth word already? Her baby was on fire.

Henry laughed, holding out his phone as he snapped pictures of them. "Smile for Troy and Aisha, Moms," he ordered, and Regina and Emma turned their heads towards him, grinning madly, not able to hide their happiness. "They say hi!" he grinned, but there was a wistful look on his face all the same.

"Henry, why don't you go snap some pictures of your room to send to Troy and Aisha as well?" Regina suggested, and there must have been a certain edge to her voice that Henry reacted to promptly, because he stood up from the seat and closed the door to the room behind him.

Emma curled up on the window seat instead. "Is he going to be okay?" she wondered.

Regina hummed. "I think so. But it's not easy letting go of your first crush. Thankfully, I think the experience was okay for him."

Eyes wide, Emma snapped. "What? He had a crush on Aisha? He never told _me._ "

With a chuckle and a fond shake of the head, Regina said, "Not on Aisha, darling."

Emma furrowed her brow, momentarily confused. He _didn't_ have a crush on Aisha? But then what did Regina mean? Did she-? "Oh," Emma breathed, eyes turning wide, "well fuck."

"He's handling it okay," Regina whispered in reply, fingers running soothingly through Alba's hair as the girl kept making small bubbles and giggling at her own magic. "I don't think we need to worry about it. We should however make a plan to teach Alba magic soon. I know she's not that old, and it might be flowers and bubbles now, but who knows what it'll be in the near future."

Huh, Emma hadn't really thought of that. She guessed Regina was right. "I bet you'll be able to teach her loads of cool stuff. I can just teach her how to kick a ball when she gets older." She wriggled her eyebrows.

Regina tittered. "I know that behind that less than obvious insult to my ball-kicking abilities there was a compliment on my magic skills, so I'll let it slide."

Emma leaned back in her seat, fond smile on her face as she hooked her hands behind her head and watched Regina and Alba, sitting there so beautifully together. She had never seen anything quite so aesthetically pleasing as the two of them by each other. "We need to figure out what to do about Henry though," she eventually said.

With a nod, Regina agreed. "Yes, I thought so. But I want us to be a team on this one. From now on, actually."

"Yeah, me too," Emma agreed, crossing her feet near the ankles. "So uh, we do agree that he has to, like, be really disciplined for all the stuff he pulled on me, yeah?" She cringed. She really wasn't good at this, but she suspected she'd have to start getting better at it. Henry was a teenager soon, and Alba was probably going to grow up a little troublemaker with _magic_ and then what was she going to do.

Regina offered her a smile. "Yes. Of course he does, Emma." She lowered her nose into Alba's hair, taking in a whiff of her scent as she did so. "But I want you to decide it, and I'll support you. He did this to you, dear. You're the one who worried and got talked back at, so you'll have to decide what that's worth. And I believe he'll take it no matter what."

Fidgeting with her fingers behind her head, Emma hummed. "I just – I know he did it for all the right reasons, but that doesn't change it, you know?"

"Oh, I know, darling," Regina whispered, smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

Emma watched her for a little then; watched her engage with Alba, handling her so carefully as she touched her, cuddled her, made another small bubble to get Alba to make a stream of more. Emma didn't think she'd ever get tired of looking at the two of them. They were the most beautiful pair she had ever seen, and her heart swelled with love and affection for them; her daughter, her True Love. Alba Swan and Regina Mills. Emma suspected that it was going to be Alba Swan Mills very soon.

"Hey," she eventually whispered, catching Regina's attention, "come over here for a second, yeah?"

Regina struggled to get out of the rocking chair, and she placed Alba in the crib carefully, before sitting down next to Emma on the window seat. She curled up around her, legs tucked beneath her, and head on Emma's chest, and Emma hugged her close, savoured the feeling of having her by her side. Familiar, comforting, yet somehow new and strange all at once. She ran her fingers through Regina's dark hair and pressed a kiss to her temple.

"I've set myself up in the guest bedroom," she lowly murmured, fingers moving endlessly across the other woman's body, "so I can be here and take care of you for the next few weeks. But I'll have to look for a place to stay after. To get settled."

Pulling slightly back, Regina stared at her with wide eyes. "What?" she snapped, and suddenly her lips curled upwards with tension.

Emma swallowed. "Yeah, I mean – obviously I need a place to stay, I can't just move back in with my parents in the loft, you know?"

Regina swatted her lightly on the arm. "You're an idiot," she said, as if that had not been determined many times before.

"I'm sure you're right," Emma huffed, not stopping her movements across the side of Regina's arm. "But do you mind telling me why in this particular instance?"

With another huff, Regina settled back against her, not meeting her eyes. "You're moving in here, you charmingly stupid fool. Get your bags out of the guest room and into _our_ bedroom. I'm not wasting another second away from my family."

Her chest swelled with happiness, and Emma grinned into Regina's hair. She had not wanted to be presumptious, but this was exactly what she'd hoped for. She just wanted to be with them all the time, to never spend another second away from Regina when they could be together. And they were going to raise Alba together, chase boys away from Henry and maybe even get a dog. This was their second chance – or was it perhaps the third? – and she wasn't going to waste it. "I love you so much," she whispered, breathing in the scent of Regina's shampoo and closing her eyes and just _savouring._

"I know," Regina huffed, but it missed its usual snark, and there was laughter streaming up from the living room, and bubbles floating above the crib, and Emma just hugged her close. Hugged her close and vowed to never let go.

* * *

A/N: Up next! An epilogue. Thank you all so much for reading!


	23. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE**

Regina's eyes ran over her form in the mirror, quizzically scrutinising her body; the accentuated waist, the lace curling around her shoulders and collarbones, her pulled-back hair and her blood red lips. She narrowed her eyes and smoothed her hands over her stomach, sweaty palms and quick heartbeat. She wasn't nervous, she was excited, anxious to finally be able to take this final step.

Critical, she watched her chest rise and fall in beat with her breaths, and she stared at herself, willing herself to overlook the abundance of flaws she saw in her own appearance and just focus on the end goal of today. She was marrying _Emma_. _Marrying_ her. Finally.

After what felt like forever, the day had finally come. They were going to be Mrs. and Mrs. Swan Mills.

A knock broke her out of her thoughts and she turned to find Ruby poking her head into the room through the crack in the door. "Hi Queenie," she greeted, eyes scanning Regina's body, seemingly satisfied with her appearance. She pulled herself through the crack and closed the door. "You ready?"

Regina met her eyes through the mirror. "I don't know. I'm a little anxious. It's not the marrying part, it's the – the standing in front of all these people part."

Ruby laughed. "Well yeah, you guys should've just eloped like me and Lily." She fell onto a chair and tucked her hands behind her head.

"As if Snow would have ever accepted that. She's been having the time of her life corrupting my wedding with pink flowers and trained birds," Regina scoffed, eyes once more falling onto her appearance in the mirror. She suddenly wasn't so sure that she had chosen the right dress. "Is Emma still here?"

Rolling her eyes, Ruby said, "Of course, do you even have to _ask_." She fidgeted with the flower in her hair and stood up to run her fingers over the small veil adorning Regina's head, "Not even a herd of wild ogres could stop her from marrying you." She paused, eyes meeting Regina's in the mirror once more, chin resting on her shoulder. "You look beautiful by the way."

"Hardly," Regina replied, but it settled her heartbeat just a bit. "Is everyone ready?"

Ruby hummed, stepping backwards again. "Yes. Henry is right outside. Lily's with David, and Alba is giving Snow heaps of trouble. Something about an uncontrollable growth of sunflowers in the hall."

Regina couldn't help the amused smile on her face. Trust her daughter to cause troubles by magicking up flowers or forest animals. She was truly Snow White's grandchild. "Yes well, perhaps Snow should have reconsidered the pink when I told her to. We might have avoided this scenario then."

Moving towards the door, Ruby said, "Yes, we _all_ know. You don't like Snow, except you totally do, and you're marrying her off-spring today." She smiled, lips curling upwards and teeth poking out. "This is good, Regina. It's wonderful even." She placed a hand on the doorknob, pressing it down, "I have to go make sure everyone's ready in their seats before David walks Emma down the aisle. I'll come get you and Henry when it's your turn."

Regina smiled appreciatively at her once more, before she slipped outside, door closing behind her. Regina thought she heard Mulan ordering Henry to fix his bowtie, and Snow yelling at her terror of a granddaughter, and she laughed to herself, leaning forward to brush her fingers over her lips. No stains meant no stains on Emma once they finally kissed each other for the first time as wife and wife.

A loud bang startled her, and she spun around in her high heels, eyes settling on the intruder – her fiancée, because _of course_ – who'd managed to ungracefully land halfway on the couch. Emma had her hands placed tightly over her eyes, and her long blonde locks were curled down her back. Regina stared at her for a second – she looked beautiful in her simple white dress, much more relaxed and comfortable than the one Regina had chosen – and she appreciated the hint of cleavage and the pumps Emma had matched to go with it. Lily had even braided some of her hair back, interwoven with yellow flowers.

"Regina, am I in the right room?" Emma huskily breathed out, "I swear, my eyes are completely closed, but it makes it kinda hard to poof for some reason."

Regina bit her lip to keep herself from laughing. "You're in the right room, Emma."

Emma's shoulders sagged and she slipped onto the floor. "Thank God," she breathed. "Can I look at you? I know you're not supposed to see the bride before the wedding, but I don't care. I need to see you for a sec."

Tittering, Regina quickly crossed the small room and gently guided Emma's hands away from her eyes. "I think we've had all the bad luck we can possibly get," she whispered as her eyes finally locked with Emma's. "Hi."

"Hi," Emma shyly breathed.

Regina ran her hand up Emma's arm, finger trailing and leaving goosebumps behind. "You look beautiful, Emma."

Emma's eyes swept appreciatively over Regina's form; warmth radiating off her features and colouring her pale cheeks a faint pink. "So do you, like," she paused, "wow."

"We're getting married today," Regina casually said, fingers intertwining, settling her anxiety and the nervous flutter in her belly. "Any second thoughts?"

"No," Emma quickly said. "You?"

Regina shook her head, "Not a single one."

"I'm gonna kiss you now," Emma breathed, and she swept her hands behind Regina's neck and pulled their faces together. They kissed slowly, lips meshing and tongues searching each other out. Emma tasted of minty toothpaste and too much coffee, and Regina clutched her closer, not quite able to comprehend that she was _marrying_ Emma today. After three years of living together and being together in Storybrooke, they were finally getting married. Honestly, it felt like they had been married for a long time, they were only just now making it official with a ceremony and everything.

She pulled back, resting her forehead on Emma's. "If you mess up my hair, I'm not marrying you," she vainly threatened.

Emma chuckled. "Yes, you are."

"So sure of yourself," Regina whispered, fingers tangling in the small hairs by the nape of Emma's neck. Emma was right however, but Regina wasn't going to verbally agree with that.

Humming, Emma reached into the small white purse she had around her shoulders, fisted hand coming up to rest between their bodies. "Belle and Mulan brought an early wedding present for us. A _secret_ early wedding present. Especially from my parents and the kids."

Regina stared down at her closed hand, brown eyes settling on her whitening knuckles and the light grey nails. "What is it," she whispered.

Uncurling her hand, Emma showed what was hidden in there, and Regina heard her own gasp of surprise. It was almost invisible against Emma's palm, only the shimmering glitter alerted Regina to its shape and existence.

"Is that-?"

"A bean?" Emma whispered as she lifted her eyes to meet Regina's surprised ones, "Yeah. Belle and Mulan got it from Merida, so I guess it's technically from her as well. She discovered it on one of her journeys." She let the bean slip into Regina's hand instead, and the brunette felt its light weight against her skin, "They thought we might want to use it to – I dunno, travel on our honeymoon?"

Regina's brow furrowed. "But I thought we were going to New York. For old time's sake."

Emma chuckled. "We can go to New York, too. But Belle said that – well, she knows that we've been, you know, talking about expanding our family again." She pressed her hand to her own abdomen, fingers splayed, and eyes hopeful. "She said we might want to see if there's still some magic left at Neverland."

Squeezing her hand around the bean, Regina felt hope surge through her. "You mean, we might be able to-?" She couldn't finished that sentence. They'd talked so much about it, and none of the solutions they'd discussed had felt right for them.

"We might actually get to both be there for the pregnancy and the birth this time around," Emma softly whispered, lips curling upwards. "Third time's the charm, they say. I want that for us. For _you_."

Regina pressed her forehead back to Emma's and closed her eyes tightly. "So do I," she honestly whispered.

Emma's hands were soft against her arms as she soothingly rubbed them up and down. "Good. Then it's settled."

They stood in silence for a few seconds at that, savouring each other and breathing each other in. Knowing that soon they'd have to get a move on, face their families and get married, and this moment of silence and solitude was exactly what both of them needed. That was, until Henry frantically pushed the door open and broke them apart.

"Mom, Mom, we can't find-" He stopped himself, pausing in the doorway with relieved eyes and a cheeky grin. He huffed and turned back around, hollering, "Gran! Gramps! I found her! She snuck into Mom's room!"

Mary Margaret appeared in the doorway, Alba latched onto her hand, amazingly adorable in her little yellow dress – which Regina was pretty sure had been pink when they had picked it out two months ago, but such were her daughter's ways – and braided hair. "Emma, there you are." She sounded relieved, as if Emma would actually have considered running.

Emma grinned goofily. "Sorry. Couldn't help it. I missed her."

"It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding, Moms," Henry sternly said, but he had the most sheepish grin on his face all the same.

Regina grinned up at Emma, love shining through her every pore, and magic reaching out to Emma in such a way that she could hardly tell where she ended and Emma begun on most days. "Not with these brides, it's not," she whispered.

Mary Margaret's eyes were wide with amusement, and the glow on her face along with her six-month pregnancy bump made her look happier than ever. "Are you coming then? Everyone's waiting for you."

Henry held out his arm, motioning for Regina to take it. "Mom?"

"Let's get married?" Emma softly questioned, green eyes sweeping over Regina's features once more before landing on the brunette's gaze.

Regina gave her hand a squeeze and slipped the bean back into her little purse. "Let's get married."

* * *

A/N: I want to thank all of you for coming on this journey with me, and for reading and commenting and supporting my writing. It's been amazing, and I've enjoyed reading all of your thoughts and ideas. I won't be gone for too long – I have a new fic in the works, so make sure to be on the look-out for that. If you want to, I can be found on twitter and tumblr as stessafanfic and I love to chat! I also post small updates on my writing on twitter, if that's of any interest to you. Take care!


End file.
